By Natalie Lescroart, Staff Writer
JAMESBURG — The Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg is seeking donations in hopes of raising $35,000 to complete the ongoing construction of a new building for its food pantry.
For about 25 years, the church, on Gatzmer Avenue, has run a volunteer program to provide monthly donations of food to needy families in Jamesburg, Monroe, Spotswood and Helmetta. While renovations were performed on the church, organizers ran the food distribution out of the nearby First Baptist Church on Half Acre Road.
But, as the operation grew from serving 20 families to 140 families, it quickly became clear that the room being built to house the food pantry would not be big enough.
According to Bea Davison, who runs the food pantry, the church purchased a building from Coastal Steel in Florida in May 2006. The company then shipped the steel parts to Jamesburg, where money raised through church fundraisers and community events had fueled the building’s assembly — until this week.
”We ran out of money today,” the Rev. Gary Filson said Wednesday. “We’re down to about $1,000, which is essentially enough to pay for whatever we have outstanding this week, but that’s it.
”Needless to say, we’re in fundraising mode,” he continued.
To date, the work has cost the church between $60,000 and $74,000, church officials said.
According to Ms. Davison, the outer shell of the building is built but workers still need to put in bathrooms, sheet rock, and the heating and air-conditioning units.
Money troubles arose unexpectedly, the Rev. Filson said, when the borough decided to treat the new food pantry as a commercial building.
”What we envisioned in the beginning is that we would essentially just be building a warehouse,” said the Rev. Filson. “We didn’t believe it would need a bathroom. We’re just going to distribute food from it.”
The Rev. Filson repeatedly expressed irritation at the borough’s requirement that the structure, as a commercial building, must have two handicapped bathrooms installed. One bathroom might be reasonable, he said. But he believes two bathrooms to be unnecessary, given the $10,000 price tag on each and the close proximity of the church and its working facilities to the building.
”It’s an unnecessary expense, but it’s a requirement, so it’s not an option,” said the Rev. Filson.
Fortunately, a few local vendors have recognized the desperation of the church and have offered to defer payments until the fall. Additionally, a few vendors have granted the church price breaks and Northeast Lumber, of Jamesburg, donated a window to the building.
With the project’s completion being contingent upon funding, the Rev. Filson hopes to collect monetary donations for the “altruistic” cause.
”The food pantry serves the community, and so community support would be very appreciated in assisting with the final construction of the building,” Ms. Davison added.
Any donated money left over from construction will go directly to helping the ever-increasing number of needy families in the community. Moreover, the church will recognize contributions with letters acknowledging the charitable donation.
To make a donation, make checks payable to the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg, with the notation “steel building.”
nlescroart@centraljersey.com
