Salvation Army lacks funding to carry out feeding programs

Gillespie

The Salvation Army NMI Chapter is currently in a troublesome situation because of lack of funding.

The Salvation Army established the island’s only soup kitchen that offers meals to the needy and also established a mobile feeding program in the Commonwealth.

The mobile feeding program reaches out to many citizens of the Commonwealth who are homeless, are living below poverty level, and people who are still getting back on their feet as a result of Typhoon Soudelor.

According to the NMI chapter’s ministry leader Wayne Gillespie, there has been a dilemma with the funding to carry out the mobile feeding program.

Gillespie told Saipan Tribune that the NMI chapter has three feeding points in their mobile feeding schedule.

The feeding points now include a feeding point in Chalan Kanoa, a feeding point in the Kagman area, and a feeding point in Koblerville.

According to Gillespie, the mobile feeding program also strives to reach out to families who are still struggling from the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor and currently still have no transportation to make it to the feeding spots.

Aside from the increase in number of feeding sites, Gillespie said that the NMI chapter has also increased the number of feeding days and has resulted in a huge number of meals to give out. “We feed an average of 2,025 hundred in a month,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie said the need has gotten so large but the NMI chapter does not have the funds to accommodate the need.

He could not stress enough that the soup kitchen and the feeding program is in desperate need of help.

“We are in a lot of financial trouble in the soup kitchen and we are in a very desperate situation…it is not merely bad, it is desperate,” said Gillespie.

According to Gillespie the soup kitchen has been reaching out to various businesses in the Commonwealth and various organizations.

“We are appealing to local businesses and organizations to support us financially,” said Gillespie.

According to Gillespie, the NMI chapter is in desperate need of cash funding to pay off utilities to keep the soup kitchen and the mobile feeding program open.

Funding is also needed for the overall maintenance of the mobile vehicle used for the outreach feeding program.

Gillespie encourages businesses, organizations, and individuals who are interested in salvaging the soup kitchen and the outreach-feeding program, to contact Gillespie to discuss ways to sponsor the program. Interested sponsors may contact Gillespie at 483-0885.