Faith Factor | Food and shelter offered in Truckee
TRUCKEE, Calif. – In the summer of 2011, Father Mathew Blank, the pastor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Truckee, determined there was a need in our town to assist the needy and homeless. He decided to dedicate a building, the site of the former church offices, to create a facility to serve those in need. Thus was the beginning of the Food and Resources Support Center, also known as the Little House with the Big Heart.
Initially, with the help of Project MANA, they were able to keep the Center open for two or three days each week. They were also successful in enlisting the assistance of four other Truckee churches: Truckee Lutheran/Presbyterian Church, Church of the Mountains, Tahoe Forest Church and Squaw Valley Chapel. Recently, they have also been greatly helped by Dr. Thomas Streicher of Divine Spark.
The Support Center offers guests a pleasant environment in which they can have a meal, shower, wash clothes, seek counseling and have the use of the Internet and the telephone. There is no overnight capability.
The Food and Resource Support Center is open 9 a.m. until noon on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursdays. A light breakfast with coffee or tea is served on Tuesdays, and each of the five churches on a rotating basis serves a hot meal from noon until 2 p.m. on Thursdays. Twenty-five to 50 guests enjoy the Thursday meal each month, 40 guests take advantage of the shower facilities and at least that number use the clothes washers and dryers. The center also has a “clothes closet” with clothing, shoes, and sleeping bags for those in need.
Although Project MANA is no longer physically present in the building, they still supply guests, the needy and the homeless, with emergency food bags for individuals and families.
The coordinator for the effort is Jack Ahern, and with the cooperation of so many generous volunteers, the Food and Resource Support Center, aka the Little House with the Big Heart, will continue to serve the needy and homeless of our town.
The Center is located at 10111 E St. in Truckee. For more information call 530-550-9773.
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