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Place for Hope reports rising membership, food‑shelf strain and volunteer hours in annual review
Summary
Place for Hope, the county‑funded peer‑support and food‑shelf nonprofit, reported membership growth, expanded food assistance (about $17,000 in purchased food last year) and volunteer support but said long‑term sustainability and a paid food‑shelf manager remain priorities.
Darryl Vazvic, executive director of Place for Hope, presented the organization’s annual report to the Clay County Board of Commissioners and described growth in membership, expanded food‑shelf activity and continuing budget pressures.
Vazvic said Place for Hope served 251 members last year and added 25 new members; year‑to‑date it had added 14 more. The organization reported roughly 6,000 meals served to members in the prior year and estimated volunteer contributions at about 11,600 hours (a reported monetary value of roughly $374,000 in volunteer time). Vazvic said the food shelf purchased roughly $17,000 in food last year to supplement allocations from the Great Plains Food Bank, which has seen donation and supply‑chain declines.
Place for Hope currently pays about $5,400 per month in rent and is exploring building purchase or construction: staff cited space needs and said a move to larger, owned space would require about 15,000 square feet. Vazvic said the organization has received a mix of grants and donations (Great Plains Food Bank allocations, local grants, charitable feeding network contributions and other donors) and participates in regionwide coordination including the BCOW Adult Mental Health Initiative.
Vazvic emphasized the nonprofit’s peer‑support services (not clinical therapy) — recovery programming, volunteer opportunities for members and social activities — and noted the food‑shelf integration has provided volunteering that benefits members’ sense of purpose. Place for Hope reported a small $8,300 deficit at year‑end after tightening operations; it projects a roughly $61,000 budget gap for the coming year and is seeking additional sustaining revenue and grant partnerships.
Why it matters: Place for Hope provides social‑support and low‑cost prevention services locally that county social services does not provide directly; its food‑shelf expansion addresses local food insecurity but raises operational and space needs for the nonprofit and funders.
Next steps: Place for Hope will pursue fundraising, board expansion and discussion of longer‑term facility options; the organization asked for continued county support and collaboration with regional partners.
