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Terry Chapman, who is illuminated by pink LED lights, shows the improved filtration system for fish at the CALL Ministries Aquaponics Bay.
CELINA - Since 2009, CALL Ministries has found an ideal home inside the last of the former Mersman Furniture structures still standing, according to executive director Homer Burnett.
The nonprofit, faith-based organization has ample room to carry out its numerous ministries, including its signature food pantry. CALL Ministries takes up about half of the space inside the 19,000-square-foot building at 420 North Brandon Ave., Burnett said.
"By far and away, it's the best one we've ever had. And the added space that we have, we've been able to expand to others programs to serve the same clients that we serve food for. Anything to help alleviate their budget," Burnett said. "It just totally fits our needs."
On top of that, the building is in good shape and structurally sound, he added.
But now CALL Ministries, which has cultivated a sterling reputation for serving area residents in need, is once again turning to the public for financial assistance to ensure the building remains its home well into the future.
The building is owned by Brandon Avenue Leasing LLC. One half of the partnership is looking to sell their interest, and CALL Ministries wants to buy it to maintain control of its own destiny, Burnett told The Daily Standard.
"We just want to make certain that whoever that new partner is, they have our best interests in mind," Burnett explained. "If we don't step in and fill that void, then who knows what their feelings are going to be toward a food pantry. … So rather than to face that later on in the future, we want to be a part of that decision process which says, 'CALL Ministries can stay here.'"
CALL Ministries needs to come up with $315,000 to purchase the half partnership by January 2027, Burnett said.
About a month ago, CALL Ministries sent out solicitation letters to about 400 businesses, churches and civic organizations seeking donations toward the partnership acquisition.
"We have no paid staff and we accept no government funding. We are entirely supported by businesses, charitable organizations, churches who donate to us to support our basic objective," the letter reads. "In recent years we have distributed these donations (both dollars and items) to serve 7,800 individuals to the total of over $1,000,000 annually."
To help prospective donors get a better understanding of its facilities, programs and impact, CALL Ministries hosted an open house on June 28.
"The response so far has been positive," Burnett said. "We've gotten good responses back. The funding has started to show good progress. We have a long ways to go, and we also have some pledges that have not yet been realized."
Burnett said CALL Ministries is about one-sixth of the way toward meeting its financial goal. He's confident it can make it past the finish line with the support of the public.
"We're hoping to do it all by donations, but we do have fallback plans in case that doesn't materialize," he said. "We don't really want to go that route."
One option would be to take out a loan at a favorable rate. The other is to essentially borrow from the funds it has on hand.
"We do have some funds in our account right now," he said. "We definitely wouldn't like to use that because that's donated for food."
As such, CALL Ministries plans to roll out a public fundraising campaign.
"We want to stay right here. We're not looking for a different location," Burnett said.
He said it would be extremely difficult and expensive for CALL Ministries to relocate its large equipment and inventory, including an aquaponics center that produces leafy greens, to an alternative location, if forced to do so down the road.
"We do have a walk-in freezer and a walk-in refrigerator and they're both 16-by-16 feet," Burnett pointed out. "So that would all have to be dismantled, transported, reassembled, all the electric reattached. And the aquaponics - it would be a nightmare moving all that."
Even more importantly, CALL Ministries clients have grown accustomed to the current somewhat secluded location which offers a sense of anonymity, unlike the previous location on Main Street, Burnett said.
"It's ideal for us, but it's also ideal for our clients," he said. "When we were downtown on Main Street, especially the older folks, they felt uncomfortable walking down Main Street holding their free food from a food bank. They didn't want their neighbors to see them."
To access CALL services, people must reside in Mercer County, apply to the ministry and fall under 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Food allotments are based on income and family size.
Right now, about 350 families come every two weeks for food and other supplies, such as diapers and pet food. The pantry resembles an actual grocery store where families can choose their own items.
"We really exist entirely on donations, but those donations are either dollars or items," Burnett said. "We live in a wonderful community here in this part of Ohio. The citizens really care about one another and they tend to look out for one another. That leads to the donations to us because they care."
Burnett is also open to offering tours of the facility to the public.
"We would absolutely love to do that because what better way of knowing where your dollars are spent," he said. "They'll see where their dollars are going to and what it's going to procure and how it's going to be meaningful, not only for CALL Ministries but for the community also."
Donations to the building fund can be directed to Mercer County Civic Foundation, P.O. Box 439, Celina, Ohio, 45822. The donation should indicate CALL Building Fund.
CALL Ministries is a 501(c)3 organization. No goods or services are offered by CALL Ministries in exchange for contributions.
In addition to the food pantry, CALL Ministries, founded in 1990, offers the following services and programs, according to a brochure provided by Burnett,
• Aquaponics Center - CALL provides high-quality salad greens year-round to clients. The self-contained system utilizes one environment to grow fish, beneficial bacteria and plants.
• Outdoor garden - CALL has locally grown vegetables picked fresh from its garden each day for clients during the summer months.
• Bed Ministries - CALL provides basic bed frames to allow mattresses to be moved from the floor to an elevated surface.
• Work 4 Program - Clients can work for large household items such as refrigerators, ranges, washers, etc. The items are donated to CALL, and clients typically work 5-12 hours per appliance.
• Backpack Program - CALL provides qualifying students in grades K-4 a weekly bag of food that contains two breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, along with snacks, to sustain them over the weekends.
• CALL CAFE - A free hot meal is served to clients each Tuesday evening at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina. Many organizations volunteer to prepare and serve the hot meal.
