Iola’s Humanity House Foundation is looking for a home of their own as part of their mission to empower people through acts of kindness.
“Our biggest problem is we don’t have a house,” Georgia Masterson, poverty director for Thrive Allen County, said at Humanity House’s board meeting Thursday morning.
Masterson said Humanity House has asked to use Trinity United Methodist Church, located at the corner of Broadway Street and Kentucky Avenue. The church is no longer used for worship services because the three Methodist congregations in Iola have consolidated, Masterson said.
Church leaders have not made a decision yet, Masterson said, but have formed a committee comprised of two members from each of the three former congregations to determine the future of the church building.
According to the Humanity House pamphlet, a physical location would be a place “where people in need can find the necessary resources — referrals, shelter, food, personal care items, showers, laundry facilities, Internet access — to help them survive, as well as the social connections that can help them learn the life skills required.”
Humanity House is also seeking to take over operation of the Iola food pantry. Tracy Keagle, a local community organizer, said the Iola Ministerial Alliance is no longer wanting to operate the food pantry and may be willing to turn it over to Humanity House.
Masterson said the pantry’s limited hours is a concern. The pantry only recently added one hour of operation on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon to help service the working poor.
Board members said they hope to find funding to pay workers at the food pantry. The pantry is currently staffed entirely by volunteers.
Ben Alexander, the new assistant director of Thrive Allen County, said Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program matching grants may help with funding.
“I bet we can find funding to have the food pantry be staffed,” Alexander said. “It seems like a pretty small ask and a pretty blaring need.”
The Humanity House Fresh For You garden program has already provided fresh produce for over 200 Allen County residents.
As part of the garden program, Keagle planted two sections of the community garden as well as the plot of land on the Iola square formerly used by the Allen County jail.
“There are no guidelines that you have to meet (to be eligible to receive the produce),” Masterson said.
Sign-ups were capped after 210 people signed up, but Keagle said she tells people to still go to the produce distributions because not all 210 people always show up.
Masterson said two distributions have been made so far at the garden on the square. The organization also delivered produce to about 15 residents at the Townhouses.
