An effort by Sweet Home Emergency Ministries to purchase the old Hometown Drug building on Main Street has come to naught, but the organization announced last week that is has purchased the old Lee’s Appliance building at 1115 Long St.
Volunteers moved SHEM from the Hometown Drug location, where it has been operating, to the new building Friday and Saturday. Among the helpers were members of the Sweet Home High School football team. Linn-Benton Food Share donated a truck and driver.
SHEM took possession of the new building on June 15, said Board Chairwoman Mary Brendle. “We did a lot in a short period of time. We still have more work to do. The city wants certain things done.”
She hoped those would be completed by Monday.
Contractors working on the new building include Dan Darwood, South Santiam Plumbing and Norm’s Electric.
Brendle wanted to specifically recognize board members Tim Healy and Pastor Rick Ellingson and volunteer Jay Kimball for getting the new building ready for SHEM to move.
SHEM has leased the old Hometown Drugs building for the past year, but the purchase ended up being too expensive, Brendle said. “We were able to purchase this entire building.”
The new building is much smaller, with Cascade Gunworks next door inside the same building.
Cascade Gunworks will remain where it is, Brendle said. If it moves or shuts down eventually, SHEM will be able to expand into that space.
“We’re kind of cramped in here, but it’ll work,” Brendle said.
“I’m excited,” said Executive Director Sharon Gallegos. “I’m using the word cozy because it’s better than cramped. The big thing is it’s permanent. It means it’s ours from the first payment on.”
SHEM is providing about 300 boxes of food each month to Sweet Home families, Gallegos said. Those boxes feed about 1,000 people, about one-third of them children. That number is about the same as it has been for several years.
Financial assistance has increased, she said. SHEM provides financial aid to those in need to help with utility shutoffs and eviction notices.
SHEM has had an upsurge in volunteer activities, with an average of 50 to 60 volunteers, about a third of them through the Oregon Department of Human Services JOBS program or Linn County Sheriff’s Office community service program.
“The clients get more personal attention because we have more volunteers,” Gallegos said.
SHEM now has a Web site, http://www.shemfoodbank.org, designed by Cindy Rice as part of an internship. She has completed a degree in liberal studies at Oregon State University with a theme of facilitating and supporting healthy relationships in the community.
The Web site contains information about SHEM, applications, the newsletter, links to various resources and a photo gallery.
Brendle has been chairwoman of the SHEM board since Gary Englert resigned earlier this year. She will remain in the position until at least September. when the board may select a new chairman.
Brendle has been involved in Manna for five years. Manna, a part of SHEM, provides hot dinners to members of the community on Tuesdays and Fridays at the United Methodist Church on Sixth Avenue.
She became involved in Manna because she saw a need, she said. “I felt I had some skills to offer.”