Laura Nungaray needed a bit of everything when she started teaching at Stripling Middle School seven years ago.
She had just earned her master’s degree and started her job as an art teacher, but her low budget meant a barren classroom. She also lacked the binders, art supplies, pencils and paper she needed to teach. That was until a colleague told her about The Welman Project.
“They are an absolute godsend,” Nungaray said. “I don’t know what we would do without it.”
Named for co-founder Vanessa Barker’s mother, The Welman Project breathes new life into would-be-discarded materials by providing them to educators for free or at a low cost. After celebrating its 10th anniversary in November, Barker and co-founder, Taylor Willis, are looking forward to their next chapter in a larger, historic space.
“I am proud of the community who saw potential in this crazy idea, and saw potential in two best friends and saw us through those pain points,” Barker said. “Now this organization absolutely belongs to the teachers, the volunteers, the community at large and our staff.”
The Welman Project co-founders Vanessa Barker, left, and Taylor Willis stand inside the nonprofit’s storefront on Vickery Boulevard on Dec. 4, 2025. (John Forbes | Fort Worth Report)
The Welman Project will move into the historic Kimbell Milling Company building at 2109 S. Main St. in April. The warehouse has five times more space than the nonprofit’s current location and will accommodate an expansion of resources for educators.
The move comes months after the organization lost nearly $75,000 in federal funding in May when the National Endowment of the Arts rolled back grants. The grant was about 12% of The Welman Project’s funding, Willis said. The dollars were intended for building a community makerspace and tool library inside a planned transformation of a former Ku Klux Klan building into a hub for culture and arts in 2028.
“We were lucky that our community stepped up and helped us to fill in that gap from those grants,” Willis said.
The Welman Project and the community have a symbiotic relationship, Barker and Willis said.
The nonprofit receives material from corporate partnerships and community and corporate donations, Willis said. The Welman Project’s location on Vickery Boulevard houses everything from containers, to protractors to decommissioned airplane parts that educators can use for lessons or activities.
In its 10 years of operation, The Welman Project prioritized building relationships with educators, Barker said. Instead of a typical storefront model, the two want to get to know each teacher by learning their needs and providing them with their specific items.
Each season also brings new demand for certain materials. In spring, teachers need basic supplies — pencils, binders, folders and crayons — and materials for various projects, she said. Barker and Willis work with sponsors to stock up ahead of time.
The Welman Project has been a consistent resource for Nungaray. She uses reused materials and saves hundreds of dollars and curbing waste.
“I feel that it’s absolutely imperative that the kids learn that things are not single use at all times,” Nungaray said.
Nungaray introduces her colleagues to The Welman Project every year, she said.
A project made by a student from The Welman Project’s materials sits on display Dec. 4, 2025. (John Forbes | Fort Worth Report)
The project went viral in 2021 after a video reached teacher TikTok, Willis said. Teachers flocked to the shop, forming lines around the block, The Welman Project founders said.
Ever since, the nonprofit sees about 5,000 teachers during the summer months alone, Willis said. Some educators come to The Welman Project to just visit after a long day or for support, Barker said.
A sign hanging in The Welman Project material area reads “Classroom Essentials (keepin’ it classy)” on Dec. 4, 2025. (John Forbes | Fort Worth Report)
The pair said they are constantly looking forward to serving the educators. They hope the future provides educators with what they deserve, Barker and Willis said.
“Ten years from now, I hope that we’re able to pivot more into sharing ideas and less about supplies, because teachers will have what they need,” Barker said.
If you go:
What: The Welman Project
Where: 3950 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth
When: Noon-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday
What to bring: The Welman Project is open to all, but educators should bring their teacher identification.
Email info@thewelmanproject.org or call or text 817-924-4000 for more information.
John Forbes is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at john.forbes@fortworthreport.org.
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