Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Sweet Home Emergency Ministries is busier than ever but doing well financially, according to Executive Director Peggy Blair.
Now it’s looking for a new home.
“In December, we had an anonymous donor come up with $5,000,” Blair said. It had a stipulation that the money had to be used to move to a better location.
Two days after Christmas, she received a phone call telling her the contribution would be doubled if the board could come up with another $5,000 in matching funds by the end of the year.
“Everyone got on the phones,” she said, and they raised the matching funds for SHEM. “So we do have a nest egg for finding a home for SHEM.
“The people were just remarkable, and everybody that pledged followed through.”
SHEM wants to move from its current location the 1100 block of Long Street, Blair said. She declined to spell out all of the reasons, but among them are the stairs used to reach Carmen’s Closet, SHEM’s clothing area, named after the late Carmen Hyde, a longtime SHEM volunteer.
SHEM has a number of disabled clients, and getting them upstairs is difficult, she said.
The organization has looked at several properties, but they either cost too much money or did not have enough space, she said.
SHEM’s numbers are going up, though they dropped a little bit during Christmas, Blair said.
In January, SHEM provided 284 boxes of food to needy families. Last year, the total number of boxes provided reached as high as 313, and from September to November, SHEM provided more than 300 boxes per month, serving more than 1,000 persons per month.
When the organization moved to Long Street in September 2006, it provided 240 boxes, Blair said. That climbed to 312 in May and generally stayed up throughout last year.
“December was remarkable, all the food that came in, in December, the food drives, from letter carriers and schools,” Blair said. “It was remarkable.”
The food drives and food donations are “incredibly important to us because the amount of food available from the food bank is lower,” Blair said. “We order big and hope we get enough.”
SHEM is having the most trouble getting meat for the food boxes, she said. One of the best ways to help out in that area is to save Thriftway receipts and donate those to SHEM. Thriftway donates a penny for every dollar on those receipts.
SHEM also is planning to participate in the Feinstein matching program in March and April, Blair said. During that time, donors should identify all of their donations by marking “Feinstein” on checks.
“Every pound of food is worth a dollar,” Blair said. “When you bring it in, please tell us to apply it toward the Feinstein match.”
Feinstein has $1 million to match funds with organizations like SHEM.
SHEM provides food, clothing and assistance with paying utility bills to families in need.
To qualify for help, a single person must receive a gross income of $1,603 or less per month or $19,240 per year. Income for two must be $2,158 or less and for four, $3,268 or less.
For more information or to donate, call 367-6504.