HomeMy WebLinkAboutLutheran Food Pantry ARPA proposalThe Lutheran Food Pantry is located in downtown Oshkosh in a former candle factory. Our building has
significant deterioration and hazards, with asbestos and a leaky roof that has caused structural damage.
The long term prospect of safe occupation is limited and the ministry does not have the funds to make
necessary repairs. Due to this, our ministry board is seeking another location for the pantry. With
relocation, we are seeking funds to replace and update faulty equipment needed to run the pantry, such
as freezers, coolers, and a fork truck.
We are honored to serve about 500 people in need per month in downtown Oshkosh. We provide on
average 11,000 pounds of food per month, in addition to diapers, hygiene items, and gear for the
homeless. The people we serve have a wide variety of needs, with backgrounds in recent job loss,
domestic violence/trafficking, addiction, disabilities, veterans, single parent families, homelessness,
recent release from incarceration, immigration, and tragedies. Each person we serve has a story, and in
our intake process we work with them to determine which resources to provide to stabilize their daily
living needs.
In Oshkosh, there are about 8 food pantries, with our pantry serving in the top 3 largest of the group.
We are a member of the Winnebagoland Hunger Network, a group of local pantries that meet monthly
to problem solve and share resources to assist our clients. We also partner with the United Way and
Jake’s Diapers to provide baby care and hygiene items. We serve as a hub for diaper distribution to
assist other pantries and Cherith International, a local nonprofit that helps orphans and immigrants. We
also work with World Relief Wisconsin and local prison ministries to help immigrants and recently
released offenders get integrated.
The Lutheran Food Pantry is part of Jericho Road Ministries, a 501c3 owned by Zion Lutheran Church.
The pantry requires about $71,000 per year in operating costs; to meet this need the ministry takes in
donations and utilizes the profits it derives from 3 other entities it manages: Zion Senior Apartments,
Tender Loving Care Daycare, and Second Chance Thrift Store. This arrangement has worked well for over
20 years, however, COVID-19 and associated policies decimated the profits normally used to support the
pantry. This, in conjunction with increased costs of labor and repairs, as well as a higher regulatory state
for the daycare, has hobbled the ministry’s financial ability to maintain the pantry’s capital needs.
As more building and equipment issues have come forth in recent months, the estimates for repair are
beyond what the ministry can afford. The board has put the building up for sale for $350,000, with the
plan to utilize the sale proceeds to purchase another building, or renovate the Second Chance Thrift
Store to accommodate the pantry. This is to ensure the viability of the pantry, and continuity of services
for the thousands of Oshkosh citizens we serve in a year.
Last year, we served 5,057 people and distributed 101,743 pounds of food. In the coming year, we
anticipate serving more families, as each month we register on average 25 new households. Given the
current cost of living, we often meet new families who have worked their whole lives and are now
unable to make ends meet.
Jericho Road Ministries’ fiscal management encompasses a daily bookkeeper, a monthly accountant to
reconcile the daily logs, and a third party firm to compile the annual report and taxes. The board also
reviews the fiscal activities monthly. Fiscal data is reported through the 990, balance sheets, and a profit
and loss ledger. If the pantry is granted funds through ARPA, separate line items would be developed
and integrated in the accounting logs.
If the grant request is not fully funded, the ministry will seek other grant sources, as well as continue to
implement strategies to operate efficiently.
We anticipate new building costs and rehabilitation to range from $300,000 – 400,000. A new
refurbished fork lift would cost approximately $26,900. With the loss of the current walk-in
freezer/cooler, replacement with standalone units would cost $21,200.The ARPA funds would be used
for equipment costs totaling $48,100, while the ministry would be responsible for the building costs.