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Needles nonprofit says it fed tens of thousands, asks council for $15,000–$20,000 in annual support
Summary
Representatives of Firehouse Ministries and Isabel's Pantry reported large food-distribution numbers, described operating costs and a 90‑day shelter program, and asked the council for grant-writing help and $15,000–$20,000 a year to stabilize operations.
Pastor James Jones, of Firehouse Ministries, told the Needles City Council that Isabel's Pantry and associated programs distributed large volumes of food last year and are struggling to cover operating costs.
Jones said Isabel's Pantry, supplied by Saint Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix, distributed what the speaker calculated as roughly 26,400 individual food instances last year based on weekly distributions and repeated visits. He said the pantry operates only on volunteers and that the program's annual operating budget was “just shy of $50,000.” Jones requested $15,000 to $20,000 a year in additional support and asked the council to help with grant writing and sponsorships.
The presentation described Ivan's House, a women-and-children shelter run by the same organization, as a voluntary 90‑day program (with some clients remaining longer) that helps residents address issues including substance use, legal matters and mental health. Jones said the average stay is about five months and that the program charges no room or board; it uses an “80/20” arrangement in which 80% of residents' income is sequestered for their housing when they exit the program.
Jones detailed equipment and facility costs: diesel and maintenance for trucks and a forklift, a 12x12x9-foot walk-in freezer and a 10x10x8-foot walk-in refrigerator, and monthly utility bills he put “in excess of $2,500.” He said volunteers carry out operations and that the pantry filled 1,560 sack lunches for people experiencing homelessness last year and served more than 50 hot meals weekly at a separate meal site.
Jones credited the Legacy Foundation and other local partners with previous capital support (for example, the freezer) and said the pantry relies on donations, yard and scrap-metal sales and volunteers for operations. He invited council participation in community events and noted the pantry’s interest in formal partnerships, grant-writing help and sponsorship.
The council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; the presentation was accepted as information and followed by questions from council members.
