Annandale Area Community Food Shelf
News and Events
| 1/17/2012 9:57:00 AM Masons sponsor food shelf fundraiser Double matching grant - $10 gets $30 |
| By Tom Westman Annandale Advocate Correspondent Buffalo's Nelson Masonic Lodge No. 135, has announced a food shelf fundraising drive with a generous double-matching grant that could dramatically impact the resources available to the Annandale Food Shelf.Minnesota Masonic Charities is providing the double-match grant for January and February. "The Masons of Nelson Lodge No. 135 have determined that they need to become more involved within our communities and that this is the perfect opportunity to really make a difference," said Mike Hilgert, master. "Thus, our commitment to the food shelves program." The lodge's goals are to create awareness of the lodge in the community and to help the food shelves in local communities, according to Hilgert. "We want those in need to know that the Masons of their communities are here to aid and assist whenever possible," Hilgert said. "Our effort to create this awareness hopefully will lead to other good men joining our organization." Triple contributions The matching grant program basically triples a contribution for the Annandale Food Shelf. "If you donate $10, $20 is matched by the Minnesota Masonic Charities, so the Annandale Food Shelf receives $30 for your $10 donation," Hilgert said. The Masons' goal in Annandale is to raise $10,000 in public donations for an overall contribution of $30,000. "We want to write a check for $30,000 to each of the six food shelf programs in our communities," he said. Four of the six local programs include: Annandale which serves the Annandale, South Haven, and Maple Lake areas; Buffalo; Delano; and Waverly, which serves the Waverly, Howard Lake and Montrose areas. The lodge is also partnering with Clearwater and Monticello to include those two food shelf programs too. How to make a donation ■ To ensure donations made in January and February are double-matched by the Masons, make checks payable to Nelson Lodge No. 135, do not make it payable to the food shelf ■ In the memo line of your check, write "Annandale Food Shelf" ■ Drop it off at any Klein Bank or mail it to Klein Bank Attn: Therese, PO Box 40, Buffalo, MN 55313. There are two Klein Bank locations in Buffalo. At close of business Wednesday, Feb. 29, a cashiers check will be made payable to the Annandale Food Shelf from Nelson Lodge No. 135. Whatever funds are in the account at that time will be cleared and placed on a cashiers check. Nelson Lodge No. 135 will then file a grant application with Minnesota Masonic Charities for the amount donated to the food shelf. MMC will then donate a matching grant totaling twice the amount of Nelson Lodge No. 135's check. MMC's check will be mailed directly to the Annandale Food Shelf. All funds deposited to the Annandale Food Shelf will go to that program. For more information about the fundraiser or Nelson Lodge No. 135, contact Hilgert by email, w.b.mikehilgert@gmail.com. Local reaction The Annandale Food Shelf is excited about this fundraising effort. "This is a great time for a double-matching grant opportunity as normally January and February have sparse donations," said Jean Skomoroh, of the Annandale Food Shelf. "There is a need for more funds in 2012 and I am anticipating a 12 to 15 percent increase on the food output." Skomoroh said this means going from providing 253,000 pounds in 2011 to somewhere around 280,000 pounds in 2012. Even though she has not put the numbers together yet, Skomoroh said she expects expect food expenses to be around $70,000 and total expenses about $90,000. "With today's economy and looking forward, I don't expect any leveling off for at least another three years," said Ed Skomoroh, president of the Annandale Food Shelf. "Until there are more jobs available for the low to middle income earners, I don't see our demand going down." In 2012 the Annandale Food Shelf plans to offer more summer lunch bags to children when school is out. This program was started last year and has been successful at targeting children who may not get enough to eat each day, once school is out for the summer. Skomoroh pointed out that the food shelf also added another a new senior residence, Goldendale, to its monthly deliveries. "We are not sure how this will affect our output of food, but if the food shelf's focus is to provide more food for the hungry, it will cost more," he said. "We will also have to take into consideration that the below wholesale prices that were available previously, are not as readily available as in the past. The 'discount' stores are prepared to pay more than a food shelf and so some of the low priced commodities have disappeared." |
| 0/11/2011 12:01:00 PM Feeding the need Community food shelf to build in industrial park |
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Managing Editor- Annandale Advocate Picture being in charge of a Thanksgiving dinner for a large group of friends and family. At the store, when buying a turkey and all the fixings, sticker shock leads to creativity in finding lower-cost ingredients. Or putting back items, altogether. Picking up perishables involves estimating how much freezer space is left at home. When dinner rolls around, made with a pared-down budget and limited perishables, worries persist about whether there will be enough food to feed everyone, especially when unexpected guests arrive. Now picture going through that every day. That's what it's like to be the Annandale Community Food Shelf, trying to meet an increasing need for services out of facilities that have not been expanded in 10 years. But all that is about to change. The city of Annandale last week agreed to sell a portion of a lot in its industrial park to the food shelf, which subsequently announced plans to construct a new 4,000-square-foot facility on the property. According to Ed Skomoroh, president of Annandale Community Food Shelf Inc., continued growth in the amount of food the non-profit provides to an ever-increasing clientele has made expansion necessary. The numbers support the move. About 2001, the food shelf moved to its current location at 99 Cherry Avenue, occupying 300-square-feet at a rental rate of $324 per month. Since then, the space it occupies has increased to 1,400-square-feet with a monthly rent of $1,350. During the same 10 year period, the amount of food distributed at the site, and the number of people it serves, has risen dramatically. In 2002, the Annandale Community Food Shelf disbursed 45,000 pounds of food to 2,085 clients. By 2010, the amount of food and the number of clients handled at the site had ballooned, with 203,000 pounds of food disbursed to 7,345 clients from Annandale, Maple Lake, South Haven and South Side Township. By the end of this year, Skomoroh estimates, the food shelf will provide more than 230,000 pounds of food to more than 7,500 clients. "With the growth we've experienced, we've simply run out of space in our current location," he said. "There's no more room for expansion there." Besides lacking room for expansion, the Cherry Avenue location lacks storage for dry goods, as well as freezer and cooler space. This has resulted in the food shelf having to pass on many food purchase opportunities. "We've had to turn down produce and vegetables simply because we have no walk-in coolers and the few fridges we have at the site can't accommodate all the items," said Skomoroh. The current facility is also cumbersome for staff and clients, as food shipments received five to seven times each month must be broken down off pallets and hand-wheeled into the building. Because there is no room for a receiving area and no open floor space, all items must immediately be put onto shelves or squeezed into what little space is available. The food shelf is manned by more than 30 regular, non-paid volunteers - many of them elderly - and the tight working conditions create potentially hazardous situations. Since 2000, the food shelf board of directors has been cognizant it would eventually need a larger and more modern facility. With that in mind, the group has invested in several CD's and has been setting side funds for future expansion. "We eventually came to the conclusion that it would be money well-spent to put up a new building that is designed to our needs and can accommodate the growth we are estimating in the next decade," Skomoroh noted. That decision was not made until all other options had been explored and exhausted. The board looked into leasing at least three other properties and made two unsuccessful offers to purchase used buildings in Annandale. "Building a new facility just makes better business sense and will give us a very tangible asset," said Skomoroh. "Every other possible alternative would have required extensive remodeling and we would have been paying $125,000 to $150,000 in rent over the next 10 years. "With the specifications and estimates we have, we can build a new structure for that amount of money and with our mortgage and utility payments, our monthly obligation over the next 10 years would be no greater than what we're currently paying for rent." Skomoroh's wife, Jean, who serves as the volunteer managing director of the food shelf, said the hope is that a new, larger facility will allow the site to do more than feed people. "It will allow us the office space to bring in representatives from county agencies and other agencies to get people help," she pointed out. "We'd like to offer more community services, such as assistance with housing, food stamps and other needs." Weather permitting, ground will be broken for the new Annandale Community Food Shelf in April of 2012 and the building will be open and in use by mid-August. |
When government funding runs out, you can help us provide milk for families in need.
Milk is one of the most important staple foods we
provide, especially for children and older adults. But in
2011, we’ve experienced unprecedented demand for
resources, as well as cuts from government funding
that used to subsidize some of the cost of milk for the
families we serve.
But you can help. Please consider making a donation
today to help us provide more milk to those we serve.
With your help, we can ensure kids have strong and
healthy bones and provide nutrients that help maintain
the health of seniors in our community.
To donate:
Click on the donate button on the home page. You can also mail a donation or stop by the food shelf and donate.
Milk is one of the most important staple foods we
provide, especially for children and older adults. But in
2011, we’ve experienced unprecedented demand for
resources, as well as cuts from government funding
that used to subsidize some of the cost of milk for the
families we serve.
But you can help. Please consider making a donation
today to help us provide more milk to those we serve.
With your help, we can ensure kids have strong and
healthy bones and provide nutrients that help maintain
the health of seniors in our community.
To donate:
Click on the donate button on the home page. You can also mail a donation or stop by the food shelf and donate.
