May 1, 2009
Expanded facilities — Newburgh thrift store, food pantry to be dedicated May 16
New and expanded facilities for the Mother Teresa Treasures thrift store and Newburgh Area Food Pantry will be dedicated Saturday, May 16. The dedication service is at 10 a.m., followed by an open house until 1 p.m. Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger will bless the new building.
The building is part of St. John the Baptist parish. Members of the parish and others contributed equipment, expertise and sweat equity in providing new homes for these twin social outreach ministries.
Mother Teresa Treasures was founded in March 2001 in the former Scot Farms Grocery Store at Hwy. 662 and Frame Road, Newburgh. Margaret and Bill Wallace spearheaded the establishing of this facility. One third of the space was granted to the Newburgh Area Food Pantry to expand its efforts for the needy in the Warrick County community. This new building virtually doubles the space for each of these organizations.
These are both volunteer run operations. Some 100 plus volunteers staff Mother Teresa thrift store. The food pantry enlists the aid of nearly 65 volunteers. It had been housed in a small room at the Epworth United Methodist Church building, and the invitation to join Mother Teresa Treasures added many square feet of display area. Now this second expansion provides even more space for this community ministry.
In 2008 the food pantry served 1,669 households with 5,409 individuals. This was an average of 140 households per month. Providing financial support and food supplies are First Christian, Gateway Bap-tist, Christian Development Cen-ter, Newburgh Church of Christ, St. Luke Lutheran, Newburgh Presbyterian, Sojourn, Zion Uni-ted Church of Christ, Epworth United Methodist, and St. John, all in Newburgh, and St. John United Church of Christ East and Oasis of Evansville.
Mother Teresa Treasures generates its inventory from gifts and donations; its items have been donated to the Red Cross, St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill, United Caring Shelters, Beanies for Baghdad, Bethel Temple Sri Lanka Orphanage, the Humane Society, Ohio Township Trustee, House of Bread and Peace, Aurora, and Katrina victims in New Orleans.