We are not an organization, and we are not a non-profit. We are neighbors. We don’t have a lot of time, and our budgets are nearly maxed. But we see our neighbors’ daily struggles and feel called to do something in a way that reflects our shared values—compassion, generosity, and trust.
We are not an organization, and we are not a non-profit. We are neighbors. We don’t have a lot of time, and our budgets are nearly maxed. But we see our neighbors’ daily struggles and feel called to do something in a way that reflects our shared values—compassion, generosity, and trust.
I'm meeting with Ken Jacobs, the middle school shop teacher, tomorrow about the project and the shop class building the pantry.
I spoke to Major Halstad at The Salvation Army, he said we could do it there, but they get a lot of mentally ill, hoarders, and greedy people down there, and suggested we try and find an alternate location first. I've messaged Luke with the Church of God (behind Starbucks) and am hoping to speak with him later today or tomorrow.
Timeline: As soon as we have funds released I plan on approaching the middle school wood shop to build the pantry. I will be contacting two possible locations about us putting the pantry on their property. I'm hoping to have the pantry up and running by mid-September. I'll be creating the Facebook page for it tonight.
Budget: I plan to use the monies to buy the building material and possibly pay a contractor to make sure it's secured in the ground well enough to make sure it lasts.
Impact: Our county and city have a lower-than-average poverty rate with many people in need. Especially after cuts to SNAP benefits. I anticipate this helping hundreds of people in just the first year alone. I have two charitable organizations that are already interested in helping. I plan on spreading the news about the project via Facebook and local media
Location: We have two, possibly three locations in mind that we will be approaching. If none of those work, then we will approach local churches. We want to try and put the pantry in an area that is in a lower-income, high-need area.