Helping Hands Outreach Center buys building on Kosark to house all food ministry operations

Dave Marner, Managing Editor
Posted 3/20/19

A former auction and resale shop on Kosark Road is the new home base for the Helping Hands Outreach Center (HHOC) of Gasconade County and its volunteer food mission.

And, a local philanthropist, …

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Helping Hands Outreach Center buys building on Kosark to house all food ministry operations

Posted

A former auction and resale shop on Kosark Road is the new home base for the Helping Hands Outreach Center (HHOC) of Gasconade County and its volunteer food mission.

And, a local philanthropist, Gerald Ebker, is heading up the “fund-raising ministry” on behalf of the  board of directors of the HHOC to raise funds for paying for, and upgrading, the 5,100 square foot building.

Ebker said Joe Voss is spearheading the “upgrade team” on the project. The building formerly owned by Glen and Joyce Duncan includes three separate sections which will each be used by different “ministry” programs of the non-profit organization.

HHOC is paying $36,000 for the three-section metal building and expects to spend another $25,000 on upgrades. HHOC directors closed on the building on Friday.

Entering the front of the site at 3552 Kosark Road, the left side will be used for the food storage and distribution ministry of the HHOC organization. The center portion of the building will contain the administrative office. The right-hand side of the building will be used for Operation Christmas and the school backpack program, a weekend food stock distribution service. 

HHOC is currently conducting business out of a 1,500 square foot building on South Second Street which was once the Owensville Area Ambulance District’s base.  HHOC leased the building for $1 a year from the city of Owensville.

There had been discussion about expanding that building but the physical property was deem too small for the needs of the HHOC programs.

Ebker said while the walls of their new facility are insulated, improvements to the building will include upgrades to insulation in the walls and ceiling, new lighting and the electrical system to accommodate  freezers and refrigeration equipment.

He expects the upgrades to take at least 60 days so it may be June or after until HHOC relocated is services.

Information being provided to potential donors to the project include an overview of the different ministries handled by the volunteers who make HHOC work. The ministry is “designed to collect food from various donors, purchase supplemental food, and distribute it to families in need in the community,” according to the HHOC. “In 2018, over 300,000 pounds of foodstuffs were provided to 3,126 families or 8,719 individuals. This was done through fund donations of $42,000 plus volunteer donated effort of 6,500 hours.”

The backpack program currently serves 68 children by providing them with a collection of snacks and food stocks for the weekends to supplement their nutritional needs when school meals are not available. Cost for the program is cited as $8,000 annually and HHOC notes “the number of children receiving assistance is limited by financial resources.”

Ebker notes that HHOC directors say there is a need to serve up to 100 students if funding can be secured.

HHOC also operates Operation Christmas, a community wide program to provide food and gifts to families in need during the holidays, which is supported by the efforts of the Owensville and Rosebud Area Ministerial Alliance. In 2018, 169 families comprising 528 individuals had a better holiday at a cost of $7,500 plus the food, clothing, and gifts that were donated, according to a year-end report from HHOC.

HHOC also conducts a monthly “mobile market” distribution program which provides a variety of vegetables, fruits, breads, milk, eggs, and other food stocks collected from grocers across the greater St. Louis region and delivered by the St. Louis Area Food Bank.

Voss said Tuesday they expect to begin preparing — possibly as early as next week — to install concrete pads and sidewalks on the north end of the building to accommodate the off-loading of food stocks into the facility. Overhead doors will be cut into the building to create a delivery area.

Then the remodeling and upgrades of electric service and lighting will begin along with sewer system improvements.

“There’s a lot of volunteer work that people don’t realize goes on there,” said Voss about the HHOC organization. “They’re pretty darn quiet and don’t look for any recognition. There’s quite a few people who put in a lot of hours up there.”

Ebker is spearheading the community wide fund-raising effort to raise the capital costs of $61,000 for buying and upgrading the building and to provide annual operating costs of $65,000. All donations or pledges of annual support will be appreciated and may be sent to Helping Hands, 604 South Second Street, Owensville, Mo., 65066.