March
Report to Council & Congregation
One of the parts of the agreement between First Lutheran and Beaver Dam Loaves & Fishes pertains to communication between the two organizations and making sure that the Congregation is informed in a formal way of what is happening. Beaver Dam Loaves & Fishes welcomes more formal communication to help with transparency. As the quote goes, “In the absence of information, people will make it up!” My phone number is displayed in multiple places and I’m always available to answer questions.
Loaves & Fishes has agreed to provide quarterly updates (likely we will do it more often) on our financials, anticipated equipment purchases, kitchen space needs, staffing, or any changes to our current mission.
Financials
First Lutheran L&F Account: End of January Balance - $28,068.07
Beaver Dam L&F Account: End of January Balance - $44,979.14
The goal is to spend down the contributions in the First Lutheran - Loaves & Fishes account until it reaches $0. This will allow the Church to continue to draw interest on this money and not have to draw a large amount of money out of the account to close it out. Both accounts represent individual and business donations as well as grants and fundraisers’ money. All money is dedicated to Beaver Dam Loaves & Fishes, none of this is Church funds. Beaver Dam L&F Account is our nonprofit bank account.
Food Costs: August thru January - $7,874.39
Meals served: August thru January - 12,536
Costs per meal: August thru January - $0.63
Food costs include all costs except major equipment purchases. Items such as containers, parchment paper, spices, aluminum foil, food, garbage bags, etc., are included in food costs.
A grant from Beaver Dam Hospital Foundation ($5,775) and a grant from Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation ($2,500), covered much of the cost of the double convection ovens. New ovens have been installed. The old oven is in storage in the basement. The Church Council will decide whether to keep or sell the old oven.
We currently use the kitchen bread proofer as a place to hold cooked food. This oven is not designed for heating and holding food. We will seek Church Council approval to purchase the needed heat and hold oven. The bread proofing oven will be kept for other Church groups that use the bread proofer.
Kitchen Space Needs
If we are allowed to purchase the heat and hold oven, the bread proofer oven will be stored in the back kitchen storage room (next to the new ovens) for easy access.
Staffing
Of the 39 meal dates left in 2024, all but 12 are filled by outside volunteer groups and the first opening to sign up is in July. There is no shortage of volunteer groups serving on Tuesday. The core group numbers remain strong with natural absences from volunteering or leaving volunteering which is offset by new volunteers coming on board, which allows us to have enough core volunteers to complete Monday prep and Tuesday core positions.
Mission Changes
There are no changes to our mission, it remains the same.
Vision: We must go live to feed the hungry, stand beside the broken, move us into action. (Paraphrased from the song, God of Justice.)
Mission: Our mission is to serve a weekly, healthy, hot meal to anyone who wants one. There will be no income requirements, we care about serving the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of all people in our community. We want to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed and loved and a part of our community. We look to follow Jesus’ command from John 13:34 – “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”