Volunteers for FARM (Fortville Area Resource Mission) mill about during the dinner portion of Wednesday’s program at Fortville Christian Church.
FORTVILLE — Ed Ramsy had retired and moved to the Fortville area about a year ago. After he and his wife, Pam, had settled into their new home, it was “time to find something to do.”
Pam had heard about Fortville Area Resource Mission. Ed thought it sounded like a good cause and became part of the team of people who pick up surplus from stores and food processing plants, and items from Gleaners Food Bank, making sure it gets to FARM’s shelves so it will be available for food pantry hours each Tuesday.
“It’s a good thing to do. It’s fulfilling; you’re helping people out,” he said. “It’s good for the community, good for individuals, good for families, and it gives me something to do.”
Wednesday, FARM volunteers like Ed reflected on recent successes for the ministry. Those successes include receiving a grant that funded purchase of a used box truck Ed and other volunteers drive to pick up and deliver food. The group also looked to future expansion on the horizon, such as hiring an additional part-time staff member and building a community center.
About 50 FARM volunteers gathered for an appreciation program at Fortville Christian Church. They had dinner and received FARM T-shirts, candy and a few door prizes. Two exceptional volunteers were recognized, and afterward everyone ate the congratulatory cake bearing winners’ names.
Wednesday — two years after she started as FARM’s first executive director — Lisa Reynolds reviewed some guidelines for volunteers and summarized FARM’s journey so far. She also talked about all the needs of various sizes that have been met, from grant-funded industrial shelves and the box truck, to a pickup volunteer coming back with a whole skid of catsup when supplies of that were out.
“Every time we have needed something, God really shows up,” Reynolds said.
Multiple Fortville-area churches support FARM with volunteers and food donations. Their pantry partnership galvanized into FARM after Township Trustee Florence May approached churches a few years ago about assistance for those in need. During the COVID quarantine, the food pantry they all supported housed at Fortville Christian Church became a drive-thru pantry that served an even higher number of guests as some local residents encountered layoffs and shutdowns.
That team of cooperating churches “began to realize that this could be more than just a food pantry (and asked), ‘How can we really meet the needs of this community?’” Reynolds said.
After FARM hired Reynolds, and after the food pantry could transition back to an indoor shopping-style experience, volunteers began to open early for pantry hours on Tuesdays and offer a “social hour” with snacks, time to socialize seated around tables together, and guest speakers. Sometimes speakers are people sharing their personal faith stories; other times they are from other community resources such as Hancock Regional Hospital’s Healthy 365.
“It’s become a community,” said volunteer Beth Timberlake, one of the “shepherds,” or table hosts, at Social Hour. “They’ve developed friendships at the tables. They call each other if they’re not there. There’s become a depth of friendship. …
“I really loved it from the very first day I came. The first day I came, I thought, ‘I want to do this the rest of my life.’”
Growing on the FARM
Recent grants have helped Fortville Area Resource Mission address some current needs and position itself for the future.
An American Rescue Plan Act grant, via Hancock County Commissioners, funded purchase of industrial shelving that can hold more food, a used box truck, two new freezers that hold meat donations, and an electric lift.
A Level Up Grant from the Community Foundation of Hancock County allowed FARM to hire a consultant who helped ministry leaders develop their vision, mission and three-year plan. A leadership retreat in March was part of this process of considering the ministry’s future and focus.
Three other pieces of growth are on the horizon for FARM:
-The pantry hours will soon include a Thursday evening time slot. Executive Director Lisa Reynolds said the Thursday hours will gradually be offered more frequently in June, with the goal of eventually having evening hours every Thursday.
-FARM Board President Kelly Griffey said at Wednesday’s dinner that the mission is looking to expand staff by hiring a part-time operations manager.
-At some point, FARM plans to move out of Fortville Christian Church. The church is open to offering a piece of its land for such a building, ministry leaders have said. “We are eventually going to be building our own building,” Reynolds said at Wednesday’s event. “… Our hope is to be a community center here in the next two years.” Ministry leaders are considering what such a center could provide, such as financial classes, counseling or space for non-profits based in Greenfield to offer programming in Fortville.
“Right now, it’s finding partners that will help us build that center,” Reynolds said. “It’s a whole ‘nother level of fundraising, community awareness, getting key partners and grant writing.”
