Sparta-White County Help Center continues its mission through community donations

Food and clothing available for those in need

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 Thanks to the donations of many  organizations and churches like First Presbyterian Church the Sparta-White County Help Center will be able to continue filling a need that for many area families.

“We just received a very generous donation from the First Presbyterian Church here in Sparta,” George Elrod, one of the help center’s directors, said. “We are so grateful for their gift. We will be able to feed so many people.”

The Rev. David Eisenmenger said his church was thankful to be in a position to help. According to Eisenmenger, the church sold some property this year and decided that the money from the sale should be donated.

“I am happy that we have been blessed to be in a position to help our community,” Eisenmenger said.

Sparta-White County Help Center receives donations of perishable goods the second Thursday of every month. These donations, which often include fresh fruits and vegetables as well as bread and other foods, come from Second Harvest Foods, Feed America First, and the Doyle Help Center and are distributed to families immediately. However, the board of directors at the Help Center knows that local families need help more than once a month, and this is where the monetary donations from organizations like First Presbyterian Church help fill that need. 

“We purchase foods like rice and peanut butter and pasta and frozen meats from Second Harvest,” Elrod explained, saying that other donations come in from stores such as Save A Lot Foods and Walmart from time to time as well. “We give boxes of food out daily - no questions asked.”

In 2019, Sparta-White County Help Center received and donated over 94,000 pounds of food and was able to purchase another $15,000 worth of staple food items. Elrod said all of the food, whether donated or purchased, that comes into the center is given to families who tell them that they have a need.

“We don’t ask for any proof of income or proof of employment or anything like that,” he explained. “If you tell us you, your family, is hungry and need food, we are going to be sure you go home with a box full of food.”

The Help Center, which is located on North Main Street, also has clothes, shoes, baby items, and bedding available for a small fee, and Elrod said the money from the clothes sales is added to the donations from the area churches and organizations to help with purchasing more food items for daily distributions.

“The clothes and things all come in through donations,” Elrod explained and said that there was a donation bin located in the parking lot behind the building for anyone who has cleaned out their closet and would like to donate items they no longer need. “A person can come in and fill a big trash bag full of anything in here and we only charge them $2.”

Sparta-White County Help Center is open Monday-Saturday and is staffed by volunteers who have a passion for serving the families of White County.

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