In another move to combat hunger and poverty, Hotel INC has opened its new food pantry building called Manna Mart
Hotel INC is a faith-based non-profit organization that provides help with meal planning, budgeting and financial assistance to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. They develop innovative programs so society can build sufficient households. The organization is funded through contributions of businesses, churches and community groups, and some individuals. Manna Mart is only one of the eight existing programs Hotel Inc. already has. Each program has a team of regular volunteers dedicated to serve and help the homeless and the impoverished.
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According to lex18.com, Hotel INC has increased servicing from an average of 90 families a month to 350, in a 16 foot by 20 foot working area. "We were really working in a cramped space, trying to serve as many people as we could and be here every day for our community," said Lacey Cole, president of the board of directors for Hotel INC. The area then was turned into office spaces and the food pantry was introduce on December 2014. Executive Director Rhondell Miller added, "Well our hope in creating the building was to be able to maximize our space here. For our food pantry to have adequate space to serve all who need to be served."
Now the pantry is equipped with new facilities like upright freezers and commercial refrigerators that were acquired through a grant by the Community Farmers Market. It also continues to partner with Meijer that allows them to purchase food directly from the company and also receive donations from them. The food pantry can be used nine times a year, you may shop once a month for three months, but must wait another month before using it once more. According to Elisabeth Fielder-Hix, Financial Literacy Counselor, "anyone that comes in that hungry can use the food pantry".
The building also boasts individual interview rooms so volunteers can talk and pray with the clients in private. The organization hopes to create more awareness of what Hotel INC is really doing for the community.
