Home is where our story begins. And in our case where is continues and grows!
We opened on Nov. 2, 2015 to 5 families ( 25 people ), the girls of Girl Scout troop 69-279 and I thought at most we would be serving 35 families a week. Our projection was seriously off. In our first five years we have experienced explosive growth beyond anything we could have imagined. With that growth has come countless lessons learned, friends and relationships forged and and an in-depth knowledge of our community and its needs.
One of our oldest and most important relationships has been with the Trinity Lutheran Church. We are forever grateful for their staunch and continued support from an uncertain beginning right through to today; without them we simply wouldn’t be where we are today. But we long ago outgrew the space they were able to provide and we need to look to the future and a space we can call our own.
We have consulted with financial people, developers and other community leaders and the consensus opinion is that the most pragmatic solution is to purchase a plot of land in our current vicinity that can support a 6000+ square feet pole barn. This basic plan is both economical and
sustainable long term and would increase our operational space by at least 50%.
Our vision for the future includes expanding our community engagement beyond being a simple food pantry. Our seasonal Thanksgiving meal and ELF Dispatch programs have been successful and well received. We would like to utilize the experience and knowledge of our community to expand
our offerings to other programs designed to help those in need become sustainably self-supporting. Some of these future programs could include:
– Cooking classes with an emphasis on nutrition and efficient resource use.
– Tech classes. Teaching people how to leverage their cell phones and
computers for their benefit.
– Expanded toiletry and cleaning supply sections as these are important
needs that are often overlooked.
Naturally, to make this dream come true requires financial support. We have started a Capital Fund Account through Old National Bank. All funds contributed to it will be used 100% to finance a permanent home and are completely tax deductible (Pantry 279 is a registered 501c3 organization). Our goal is seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Which is a significant amount. But even the largest lake is filled one rain drop at a time.
Although the Girl Scouts of troop 69-279 have grown up and moved on to the next chapters of their lives, please consider donating to help secure their legacy in helping our community for a long time to come.
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Building Fund
Campaign to build a permanent home for Pantry 279$115.00 donated of $750,000.00 goal