There’s a first ray of hope for the future of the Project Bread program.
BCMW has received a check for payment of July services, the first payment since June. Executive Director Jessica Backs says while the flow-through of money from the federal government is a positive sign, they have no information on when additional money will be received.
The payment will be used to cover expenses from the past four months. Backs is hopeful the financial issues can be resolved to allow for a reopening within the next two months.
While the City of Salem, churches, and Salem Township Hospital have organized a temporary program to provide meals to the 120 seniors who were utilizing Project Bread in Salem, no such program has been put together for the 170 utilizing Project Bread in Centralia until now.
Backs says through donations the agency will be purchasing food from the Central Illinois Food Bank in Springfield this weekend. It will then be distributed to those on Project Bread Monday and Tuesday to provide food for the next two weeks. Backs says State Representative Charlie Meier has also agreed to cook a Thanksgiving Dinner and another dinner between Thanksgiving and Christmas for the program recipients. Backs says a Christmas dinner is also being arranged.
Now that Backs has learned the agency can seek donations, they are being accepted at BCMW, either by mail at Box 729, Centralia, IL 62801 or by dropping them off at the office at 909 East Rexford.
Backs is also praising the effort of the Salem community for coming together to put together the temporary food program calling it an amazing effort. The Salem program will start delivering hot meals Monday through Friday starting on Monday. Project Bread recipients in the Salem, Odin, Sandoval, Patoka, Iuka and Kell area who haven’t signed up to receive meals can do so by calling Salem City Hall during office hours at (618) 548-2222.
The Salem program is also seeking donations to cover expenses above the $4 per meal paid by those receiving meals. They can be made to the Salem Ministerial Alliance’s Venmo Account smaillinois or by mail at Post Box Office Box 1312, Salem, IL 62881. Please mark any donations for the ‘senior food program’.
