You would think that serving the equivalent of 60,000 meals each day to those suffering from food insecurity would keep all of us, at Blessings of Hope, working full steam ahead. And we definitely are. But the Lord continues to do creative, amazing, outside our ability to imagine things, and we want to let you know about one of those new developments.
New site in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
We have recently purchased a 52,000-square-foot facility in Elizabethtown, PA (formerly Darrenkamp’s). This additional space will allow us to expand our reach and impact more lives for the glory of God. This building will offer a second Ministry Selection Center in PA, where we will serve our partners and voucher recipients.
Our plan also includes provision for half of the building to be designated as a food processing and dehydration facility. Here, with the help of our volunteers, we will sort and repackage the large quantities of food we receive. The dehydration process will enable us to utilize greater volumes of produce and reduce the amount of waste. Dehydration also allows for more efficient shipping, both locally and internationally.
It is our desire to use the resources we are given in the most efficient way possible. With this in mind, we are planning to install a methane digester system at this facility. The state-of-the-art system will control the decomposition of organic waste and produce methane gas, which would run a generator to produce electricity, produce gas to run the dehydrator, and also heat the building. In this way, we will give a productive use to food scraps while eliminating compost dumping fees.
Our goal is to complete renovations and move into the building by summer 2024. The estimated cost for this process is $8,000,000. We are exceedingly grateful that the Lord continues to provide the facilities and resources we need to fulfill our mission of feeding the hungry and bringing hope to the hurting. It would be an honor to have you partner with us in prayer.
Grateful to the Lord,
Blessings of Hope