Local food pantries are asking the community to remember those who are less fortunate, especially as the cold, winter months approach.
According to Community for Christ Outreach Center Director Renee Williams, the needs in the community over the past few weeks have become even more challenging, due to the onset of colder nighttime temperatures. “We have a large population of homeless at the lake,” Williams said. “Some are living in tents, and in their cars, and we are struggling to find warm and safe places for them. We are especially concerned about the families with young children, the elderly and the handicapped.”
Williams said many are living in places that simply were not designed for winter weather. “They were made for summer tourist rentals,” Williams said. “This makes heating costs astronomical.” A lot of these people have jobs, she says, just not adequate housing.
The Community for Christ Outreach Center in Sunrise Beach assists people in the community with groceries and emergency funds for utilities, rent, medicine and fuel. They also help those who have lost everything to a fire, by providing emergency clothing, blankets and more. The center is a distributor of emergency Salvation Army vouchers, for many of the same type of emergencies.
The outreach assists approximately 70 families each month, from Greenview to Versailles, and towards Ivy Bend.
To raise funds to assist people in emergencies, the outreach operates a thrift store that sells clothing, furniture, household items, jewelry and more. Donations and volunteers are always welcome. The Thrift Store is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Area churches regularly support the outreach with donations and volunteers. The outreach is overseen by a board of directors that represent each of the Westside churches.
Food
Currently, the outreach is especially in need of donations of non-perishable and frozen food items. They receive deer meat during hunting season, so donations of ingredients for deer meat recipes like spaghetti sauce, noodles, hamburger helper, chili, beans and Manwich are useful.
The outreach center also receives canned goods through a fall Canned Film Festival hosted by the Eagles Landing Theater in Lake Ozark, in association with the Salvation Army. Moviegoers can donate five canned goods and see a movie for free. The canned goods are then distributed to area food pantries. The date of the Canned Film Festival has not been set, but will be announced when it is determined.
For more information about the outreach center, or to donate, or volunteer, call Williams at 573-374-4425.
