Main Street Ministries has received a huge outpouring of generosity from the Hillsboro community. The ?Fill the Bus? food drive was a great success and the timing was perfect.
Use of the Main Street Ministries food bank has doubled in the past 24 months. Families who come to the food bank are given one box of food?enough to feed a family of four for four to five days?once every four weeks.
In 2006, 365 boxes of food were given out. In 2007 it increased to well over 500 boxes and this year we will most likely exceed 800 boxes of food.
Food drives are a vital part of keeping the shelves stocked. The local Boy Scouts collected more than 1,700 pounds of food on Nov. 15 in cooperation with the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce to ?Fill the Bus.?
The crew of volunteers who unloaded the bus and stocked the shelves reported that ?their backs and arms felt like that was a conservative number.?
Main Street Ministries is thankful. We would like to extend our gratitude to:
n Hillsboro Boy Scouts, Lee Clark and David Wienk for the manpower to coordinate and pick up the food from the doors of the community to ?Fill the Bus.?
n Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce and Brenda Coryea for promoting the idea to ?Fill the Bus.?
n Teresa Huffman, Marion County economic development coordinator, and the Marion County Commissioners for driving and furnishing ?the Bus.?
n The volunteers who unloaded the bus, emptied the bags, sorted the food and stocked the shelves.
n All the households in the Hillsboro area that generously gave from their kitchens and pantries so others may be fed.
The Main St. Ministries Food bank is ready to help those in our midst who are struggling to feed their families during these uncertain times.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank those who have recently helped with some of the physical repairs and improvements at MSM:
n Lester Funk for installing the new heating and air-conditioning unit in the office.
n Mel Flaming, Concrete Products and Terry Rhea, Marty Dalke, Steve Schroeder, Eric Driggers, Matt Jost, Andrew Jost, Ray Edwards and Ken Koslowsky for the new sidewalk.
n Nick King for taking care of the recent annoying leaks, squeaks and drips.
n Dale Mayfield for checking and making sure all the heaters were working and safe.
n To Marvin Funk, for years of tireless service and dedication at MSM, we will miss you.
n To all the Bible study groups, Tabor College groups, churches, youth groups and individuals who volunteer for and support this ministry in many ways.
n To our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Thank you and happy Thanksgiving.
