Nonprofit That Feeds Families Hopes To Raise $800,000 To Buy Building
DENVER (CBS4) - Community Ministry has been serving neighborhoods in southwest Denver for 50 years. For 18 years, they leased their building from a church which closed last October due to a declining congregation -- the property was transferred to another congregation which has been forced to sell the property.
Community Ministry is hoping to purchase it. To do that they have to raise $800,000 by January. Michelle Scheffer is selling flowers to help Community Ministry raise the needed money.
"It's important, we need to be in this neighborhood, there's a lot of people who rely on Community Ministry for food," she said.
Michelle volunteers for the nonprofit she once turned to when she needed help.
"It was a little overwhelming how incredible that this place made me feel and what they do for families and the community," she said.
"These are people that are the working poor, that are struggling day-to-day and they are really trying to make ends meet and for them, we aren't just a band aid, we're the helping hand that they need to make it through to that next rent payment, their next mortgage payment," said Joyce Neufeld, Executive Director of Community Ministry.
She says they looked into getting a loan, but that would mean paying a bank $4,000 a month, every month for 25 years.
"When you think, we can feed a family of five, for five days for five dollars, $4,000 a month takes a lot of opportunity away from us helping people."
The nonprofit hopes the community can help them continue to serve those in need.
"If that money that you were going to spend on your fast food or whatever, you can give to helping us stay in this community and serving those needs for people. If that can be you tomorrow, help us."
"If everybody just gives a little, it adds up a lot and I hope Community Ministry will be here for a very long time and be able to this neighborhood and people for many years to come," said Michelle.
Twenty-thousand people are served by Community Ministry's food pantry each year. They also have a kids clothing bank and teach cooking and nutrition classes.