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Pantry is still up in the air
Published Tuesday, June 3, 2008
NATCHEZ — Months ago, the United Way decided it could no longer financially support the Food Pantry.
A deadline was set — June 1 — to find another sponsor. That date has come and gone and no one has stepped up to the plate yet.
Mike Gemmell, chairman of the United Way said the only agency to show interest thus far is Catholic Charities.
Executive Director of Catholic Charities Martha Mitternight said the agency is merely in the very initial stages of making a decision and things are tentative right now.
“We are currently in the process of reviewing that administratively to see if that’s something we can afford to do both financially and with our administrative staff we have, and whether it would be feasible for us to assume the management of that program,” Mitternight said.
Gemmell said Catholic Charities is the only agency in town that can support the Food Pantry.
“That’s the only option,” he said.
Sponsoring a program that feeds between 500 and 600 mouths a month requires great funds and a large staff.
“It’s very labor intensive,” Gemmell said.
Mitternight said she hopes to make a decision by the middle of this month.
Gemmell said the original deadline for the United Way to find a new sponsor has been pushed back to Aug. 1.
“The board decided that if by June 15 Catholic Charities cannot for some reason take it over we should give the clients sufficient time to find other sources of funding,” he said.
United Way has been sponsoring the Food Pantry for over a year and a half now, and in March the United Way decided it needed to spin the pantry off.
The role of the United Way is not to directly run such programs, but to be involved in a more indirect way, such as collecting funds for the programs.
“It’s not the role of the United Way to be in an operation mode,” Gemmell said.
Comments
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 12:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So if another entity sponsors it you can give the money to them?...are you just trying to get out of the administrative role?
Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I believe it is both. They want someone else in the administration role and they will help raise funds for the program. They have backed it financially and cannot continue to do so indefinitely.
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Finances is definitely not an issue with whether or not the catholic church takes over the operation. Money is never a problem with the church unless the higher level churches don't allow them to have it. The catholic church is the wealthiest entity in the world. Above any corporations.
Posted by eaglebe (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
C C, think long and hard before you connect with UW. Wonder why so many churches won't touch them with a ten-foot pole? Something is not quite "right" with them (UW).
Posted by ThomasR09 (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Are things falling apart now that Kathy Stephens is gone?
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yall stand at Wal-Mart so I can give yall some more money! Didn't that last collection do pretty good? I'll help out all I can.
Posted by 1sparkle (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As someone who has helped with the food pantry, since before it was even apart of the UW. Raising money, garage sales, unloading food, passing out food, and praying with those who wanted prayer. I know that it is a great cause. UW doesn't deserve to have such a great charity under their name. So many do not want to help because the Food Pantry has United Way before it. Once UW took over the FP it went downhill. Service for those getting help went down. I can see people in a store or at a gas station and they always say, it just isn't the same. Those people are rude and ugly to us. They do not care how we are doing or anything. It is really sad to hear that knowing how great it was two years ago and to see it so down now. I hope that if CC gets the FP I hope its completely away from the UNITED WAY! It is horrible how bad UW treats people!!! I hope something great happens soon and the FP is up and running again. There are several out there that really do need help.
Posted by blablabla (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So why Not let the prisioners work here. Put chains or schackles on them and they can not run then.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good idea, blablabla! Maybe they'd be less likely to go back to jail if they get some good, old-fashioned generosity growing in their hearts.
Posted by olemissgirl (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 11:47 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So who's in line to fill UF's pockets? Not me.
Posted by John (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Ministerial Alliance began the FP post Katrina, and had it taken away. Realisitically, the MA could not fund or run it. I hope CC does take it over, as do most ministers who have had anything to do with FP since its inception.
Posted by lambchop (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 6:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My church donates food items every month and some have helped there. I wish I could but cannot manage the process for health reasons. I hope someone will come to the plate as there are hungry people out there who need all the help they can get and not just a handout. There needs to be dignity, courtesy, and a willingness to help others. -- Please, someone help this to remain a community project.
Posted by 1sparkle (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The food pantry was created way before Katrina ever came into existance... It has been up for almost 7 years! I personally have worked with it since 2001 a few months after it began! Yes the MA took over it after Katrina, but before that First Assembly had it and it was growing bigger and the MA and UW wanted to help out supposably and take it over, they did... UW drove it in the ground! Now its a mess and someone else needs to take over it and make it right again. I watched it grown and prosper for years without the help of UW and I tell you one thing it was better off without the UW ever even looking its way! So much for making it grow like the plan was, its smaller and a huge disaster! Just like the UW to screw up everything. Many give to the UW and think they are doing good... They are making so many employees of the UW's pocket book bigger and bigger!
Posted by MikeGemmell (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me set the record straight. The Food Pantry was in dire need of funds and organization. It was transfered from the Ministerial Alliance to the United Way as a temporary measure to keep it alive. Now the Food Pantry is is fine shape and is running well. We feed over 500 families a month. It's time for a direct service agency to take it over. The United Way was NOT set-up to run programs. It is an umbrella agency that collects funds for other agencies to use in the delivery of human services. In fact, funds that were used to shore-up the Food Pantry were coming out of allocations due next year to the 22 "certified" United Way agencies. It was a drain on our limited resources.
Not only is the Food Pantry viable, so is the United Way. We are strong and functioning well, thanks to our dedicated volunteer board members (some of the most respected leaders in the Miss-Lou) and an outstanding staff. By the way, the United Way currently has ( since January 7) one full-time professional admistrative assistant. She has kept the agency running well. We have no outstanding debts and, most importantly, all of our 22 agencies have received funds that were approved by the allocations committee.
Now, a comment to 1sparkle regarding our employees and thier "pocket books getting bigger and bigger." First, our AA could double her salary at another outfit but she's committed to the United Way and its mission: to help individuals and families to stand on their own and to tap the carring strength of the Miss-Lou. Second, we have three part-timers in the Food Pantry and they make a little over miimum wage. They too are committeed and work hard to ensure that over 500 families receive their approved food allotment . Shame on you, 1sparkle.
One more thing, as a retired association executive, I devote over 10 volunteer hours a week as chairman of the United Way. Our past chair, a retired educator, puts in about 20 volunteer hours a week assisting our AA in the conduct of United Way affairs. Futhermore, we can add more hours put in by other volunteer board members. All FREE!
I welcome the public to visit our new offices ( 206 N. Canal) on Tuesday, June 10 from 3 to 5pm to ask questions about the United Way, in general and the Food Pantry, in particular. I look forward to meeting you in person.
Mike Gemmell, Chairman, United Way
Posted by concernedNTZcitizen (anonymous) on June 6, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I give rides to people who pick up their food boxes and they all say the boxes and food is better since United Way took over. Whom ever had it before gave out mostly outdated products. Which should be against the law. One elderly patron asked me to check her dates and some of hers was over a year old.
United Way has not passed out any outdated foods, that I know of. They get meats, juices, and other needed things such as vitamins and aspirin.
You can't please everyone, but they have pleased at least 500 people.
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