Sparrow House Ministries needs community’s help to continue to feed hungry Prowers County families

Photo courtesy of the City of Lamar

Sparrow House Ministries has been a fixture in Lamar since 2014 when Joel and Veronica Jacoby saw a need to fill the void left after the Mary and Martha Ministries’ food pantry closed after the retirement of Jerry and Betty Park.  At the time, the Jacobys had been involved in youth ministry and felt that stepping in to continue to feed the bodies and nourish the souls of individuals and families in the Lamar area was their calling. Joel has a strong background in agriculture and Veronica was an artist and writer at the time, careers they selflessly gave up to start Sparrow House. They applied for 501c3 non-profit status and got right to work.  They chose the name Sparrow House as a reminder of Luke 12:6-7, part of which reads: “God doesn’t abandon or forget even the small sparrow He has made.  How then could He forget or abandon you”.  While faith-based, Sparrow House is non-denominational and not affiliated with a particular church, although they have been supported since moving to the newest location at 907 S. Third Street in 2018 by Calvary Baptist Church, who recently deeded the entire property to Sparrow House.  The food pantry is in the brick building on the property.  Calvary Baptist still uses a portion of the building for their worship services. The large concrete building is 10,000 square feet of storage space which, Joel said, surprises a lot of people “who think the food pantry is just a small room with food”. The previous playground on the property was converted three years ago into a “victory garden” grown in raised beds, which this year yielded nearly 9,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables for the pantry. The garden is tended to by volunteers and watered from wells so as not to rely on paying for city water.  In addition to the food pantry, on Fridays at 6:30 pm, the Ministry hosts “The Table”, which is a time for prayer/worship/study/fellowship.

“It’s all about the people” stated Joel.  “We see this as an opportunity to provide hope and encouragement as well as food, and we want people who come in to not feel like they need to hang their heads”. He wants to dispel the idea that everyone who receives SNAP or other benefits are too lazy to work and just want government handouts. He told me that many of the people they serve are single parents, seniors or working families trying to survive on minimum wages. “Lots of these people have jobs, but we also really try to take care of the seniors” he said, saying that a lot of seniors on SNAP (food stamps) may only receive $24 a month to purchase food.  Both Joel and Veronica stressed that the human element is a big part of their ministry. No one is judged or made to feel ashamed to ask for help. “Sometimes it just makes us cry” seeing the relief on the faces of the people they help, Joel said, adding “Things as simple as a hug can really make a difference for some people”.  Although he is a self-described “hermit” when not at the pantry, Joel says he is at his happiest when helping others, a sentiment echoed by Veronica.  Those who are lost or hurting can find spiritual refuge and much-needed nourishment at Sparrow House.

Some of the pantry items at Sparrow House

Sparrow House has open pantry hours on the first, third and fourth Thursday of each month.  The Prowers Journal lists pantry dates and hours for each month on our online Community Calendar and the calendar is also available on the Sparrow House Ministries Facebook page each month.  Individuals and families are allowed to receive food twice per month – the amount they can receive is based on family size and available food supplies.  Typically, the foods distributed are aimed at sustaining them for 3-4 days.  In addition, in extreme food emergencies, persons may receive one “emergency box” once in a 6-month period.   There are no income requirements.  Anyone in need of food may visit during pantry hours and Veronica said that “many that fall in the gap between being eligible for food stamps but can’t quite make it” visit regularly.  Currently, Sparrow House serves around 1,600 persons per month and the number is continually rising due to the current economy.  The government shutdown and subsequent delay of SNAP benefits for November is compounding the need. In fact, they served 400 families recently in just two weeks so the need for donations is urgent.

The Lamar Lions Club recently donated 125 pounds of food and $1,500 to Sparrow House.  Pictured, left to right:  Dick Ramsay, Gordon Guihen, Joel Jacoby, Veronica Jacoby, Randle Harmon, Luis Sanchez, Gerry Bates, Randall Ply, Tom Tefertiller, and Kris Jacobsen

Donations took a huge hit recently with the announcement of the closing of Lamar’s Safeway store.  When asked how deeply this impacted their food supply, I was told that “100% of our bread, 90% of our dairy, and 90% of shelf-stable items” were donated by Safeway – short-dated items that were put to good use instead of being thrown out.  In the past, Sparrow House was able to apply for Safeway’s yearly “Nourishing Neighbors Holiday Program” which allowed them to hand out $50 gift cards for holiday meals but since the program requires there be a local Safeway, they were ineligible to apply for it this year.  As a one-time consolation, Albertson’s recently sent a check to Sparrow House in lieu of the gift cards, but in a smaller monetary amount than the cards would have amounted to.  The Jacobys said that they are also “extremely grateful” to the Lamar Dollar General store which continues to donate a lot of short-dated items and also to Little Caesar’s who donate each day’s “Hot and Ready” pizzas that aren’t sold. These pizzas are then frozen to be handed out later during pantry hours.  There have also been several food drives sponsored by various local organizations, including the Lamar Lions Club and the Lamar High School DECA club for which the Jacobys are very grateful. Veronica is hoping to soon be able to hand out menu suggestions which would allow pantry visitors to plan out meals from the items they choose at each visit. She said that having spent years living on a farm with infrequent visits to town honed her menu-planning skills that she would like to share with others.

Some of the Victory Garden’s bounty

How can you help?

There are several ways our community can help Sparrow House continue their mission of feeding the hungry.  “We use anything – literally” said Veronica.  “Most needed items are canned proteins like chili, soups, peanut butter, etc.  We also always need baking staples like flour, sugar, and oil.  Another item we love to have donated is birthday cake mixes and frosting.  We try to make sure families are able to celebrate a birthday!  Of course, monetary donations are ALWAYS needed as well. We are still saving for a new (used but updated) refrigerated truck, as well.  We also have operating expenses of utilities, etc”.  Volunteers are always welcomed and people are encouraged to sign up by calling or texting 719-468-6999.  Joel and Veronica are trying to work with other area pantries to corroborate in order to buy food in bulk, which is not possible at this time due to the very large purchase requirements necessary to do so.

Joel and Veronica are praying that the people of Prowers County “get behind this” and step up to help their fellow man, saying that if Sparrow House is ever forced to close due to lack of donations, it would be devastating to the community, as it is currently Lamar’s only food pantry.  They are hoping that local churches and faith believers find it in their hearts to help out, not just during the upcoming holiday season, but throughout the year, as their inventory is getting very low.

You can easily donate money at the following website if you find it in your heart to help. https://givebutter.com/sparrow-house-ministries.  Sparrow House can be reached at 719-468-6999 or by email at sparrowhousepantry@gmail.com

By: Barbara Crimond