Cynthia Russell

Operating Director for CTLC

Cynthia graduated from Temple High School in 1948. From there she went to college at Texas Tech in Lubbock, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1951. After working as a chemist for several years, she began teaching, finally coming back to Temple, where she taught chemistry and math at Temple High School from 1975 – 1985. She retired from teaching in 1985.

In 1990, Cynthia was a member of First Baptist Church Temple and was visiting people in the hospital. During her visiting of patients she would ask if there was anything the church could do to help them. Sometimes the patients would tell her that they needed food or help with paying a utility bill or a medical prescription. She would have to tell them the church did not have the facilities to do these things.

For approximately 3 months, the Lord “kept working on her” to do something through her church to help people in need. So, first she went to the First Baptist Church Temple Administrative Pastor and told him she wanted to start a food pantry at the church. This was brought before the church members and was approved.

As she began organizing the newly started food and clothing pantry, other church members made shelves for her. Little by little the pantry was stocked with food and clothes were donated by generous folks in the church. Sometimes clients needed more than just food or clothing though. When a client needed gasoline, a utility bill paid or a medical prescription, the church would also help with that.

In the summer of 1993, Pastor Tom Henderson (at Heights Baptist Church at the time) came up with the idea of having a food pantry for needy Temple residents. Pastor Henderson sent out a letter to all of the churches in Temple sharing with them this idea of starting a food pantry in Temple. In this letter he set up a date for a first meeting. Eight people showed up: the Jail Ministry Pastor, 5 Baptists and 2 Methodists. All were pastors with the exception of Cynthia, a layperson. She was representing First Baptist Church Temple. They had many meetings after this first meeting to organize CTLC. Since Cynthia was the only layperson, and had 3 years experience organizing and running a food pantry, she was appointed as the temporary director of CTLC.

CTLC opened their doors to help those in need in June of 1994. The first building that CTLC used was located behind the First Methodist Church in Temple. They could only handle up to 50 clients each session, all from the Temple city limits. This location for CTLC was used for approximately 5 years until they moved into their current location on Avenue G.

Cynthia has also been, and is still, teaching GED courses for the Temple Housing Authority. This has all been done on a volunteer basis for the past 17 years, 3 afternoons per week, year around. The subjects she teaches are math, social studies, literature, grammar, writing and science.

One of her favorite pastimes when she isn’t volunteering at CTLC or teaching GED classes is to just enjoy her many German shepherd dogs (with the odd Dalmatian thrown in).