Our History

We began in 1997 as Fortress Church, providing impoverished families and the homeless community in Historic Southside Fort Worth with basic needs such as food and clothing. The strain of operating ministries for both the homeless community and low-income families was soon felt, and the church elders deliberated and prayed about the long-term goals of the Church. At the time (and to this day), there was a dearth of organizations serving Historic Southside families, but there was an abundance of homeless services within a half mile.

As a result, Fortress Youth Development Center incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2005 to address the academic, social, and spiritual needs of the children in our neighborhood. The Church disbanded in 2009, but the faith-based roots of our programs remain a vital part of our mission.

From 1997-2020, Fortress operated out of a 1905 building originally built as a hotel. After changing hands and housing many different businesses over the decades, including a well-known antiques store during the 1960s and 1970s, the building sat vacant for several years until it was purchased by a young drug dealer in 1991. The young man was tragically killed in the building as a result of his collaboration with police as an informant. His father, who inherited the building, wanted to leave a positive legacy for his son’s life and sold the building to the then-young Fortress Church at a steeply discounted price. He commissioned a plaque that still hangs in our building, which reads, “Without his knowledge, Alex was preparing this building for the service of God.”

In 2020, during the height the global COVID-19 pandemic and a forced shut-down, Fortress discovered a property for sale in its neighborhood that had originally housed a Catholic elementary school. In a giant step of faith, Fortress purchased the property at 1007 E Terrell Avenue and moved in over the Christmas break. The new location boasts its own rich history, as the site of Tarrant County’s first Black private school, built to accommodate students who were disenfranchised by segregated schools in the first half of the 20th century. Originally located on Evans Plaza at what is now the Ella Mae Shamblee Library, Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School operated at the East Terrell location from the 1950s through 2016. From 2016-2019, the school was the home of Cristo Rey High School, a private Catholic high school and college preparatory program for low-income students.

Fortress began operating out of the new location in January 2021, with the capacity to enroll 50% more students and serve many more families. Although unplanned, this move was just the next right step for Fortress to expand its mission and services to meet the evolving needs of the community. Today, Fortress serves nearly 100 families a day and countless more on a sporadic basis with a fresh food pantry, parenting classes, and community event space.