On Saturday, Nov. 3, Moniteau Christian Ministries Center
(MCMC) will host a fundraising dinner at the Tipton High School from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The funds will be used to help complete Phase II of the construction of the building that will house a larger and expanded food pantry and the Project Share resale shop. Cattlemen's Association members have generously volunteered their time and will be cooking
steaks to order as well as hot dogs. MCMC is a 501(c)(3)
charitable non-profit corporation that was formed about two years ago with a plan to merge the food pantries at the California Methodist Church (including the Buddy Pack program), the Mobile Food Pantry operation that distributes out of the Eagles facility in California, and Project Share, a clothing and resale shop, into one entity and under one roof. MCMC has completed Phase I of construction. The metal
building shell has been erected, plumbing has been roughed in and connected to the city water and sewer, and the interior framing is completed.
MCMC is now ready to begin Phase II of the project which
includes the interior wiring, HVAC, interior plumbing, and hanging dry wall. The building committee appointed by the Board has worked tirelessly to secure volunteer labor for these tasks. We have volunteer electricians, HVAC installers, painters and some who are ready and able to hang dry wall and paint. But we must still raise cash for most of the materials themselves. The Board of MCMC estimates that the cost of completing the building will be somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000, depending on the number of donations of labor and materials.
Volunteers and leaders in all three ministries have seen the
needs in Moniteau County increase beyond each individual ministry's ability to help. Currently, the food ministries can distribute only once a month and there is limited storage space and little or no ability to distribute fresh or frozen food. The same economic pressures that have caused an increase in demand at the food ministries have also helped increase revenues at Project Share. Families are stretching their available cash by shopping at the resale shop for some of their
families' clothing and household needs. Combining the individual ministries into one organization was enthusiastically endorsed by church leaders and volunteers.
Through the generous donation of land located at 303 Latham Rd. in California (behind Hawthorn Bank), and other donations large and small and grants, MCMC has completed Phase I of construction. The Board is confident that with the help and generosity of the citizens of Moniteau County, the project will be completed in the first six months of 2013.