To The Editor:
The Free Meal Center has made great strides in 2010 to reach its goal of becoming Cape May County’s first-ever daily soup kitchen. We are disappointed that the facility will not be open during the upcoming winter months due to delays in receiving a building permit, but eventually that obstacle will be overcome. In the spring we expect to open our doors to the general public, serving lunch Monday through Friday, plus breakfast on Saturday.
As part of our commitment, we opted from the very start last January to purchase – not rent – the building that would become our home. We discovered a former restaurant on Route 9 in Burleigh that fit the bill. It had over two acres of land, offered over 4,000 square feet of space in the building, had a parking lot that can accommodate 40 vehicles, and was in a highly visible location. The property needed TLC, but we knew the community would respond in helping us get it back in shape.
As part of our sale agreement, we were given a one-year lease on the property. We have used that time to vinyl side and paint the building, landscape and clean up the grounds, create a park setting for outdoor family fundraisers, and gut the north dining room and kitchen in preparation for remodeling. All the labor was done by dedicated volunteers. We’ve received donations of most all the commercial kitchen equipment we need, plus tables and chairs and dishes. We lined up professional contractors at no or low cost to handle our plumbing, masonry, carpentry, electrical, hood vent, fire suppression, and heating and air conditioning needs. Through generous donations and fundraisers, we have already set aside most of the funds to complete the renovations.
As the end of our lease approaches, we prepare for the transfer of the property to TFMC. The mortgage is being privately held by the current owner, a situation that has made the entire venture possible. The terms of our contract call for a $50,000 down payment due at closing. With the clock ticking, it is now time for us to focus on raising that $50,000. That’s where readers come in.
Please help us, whether through a donation, holding a fundraiser, passing the hat at work, or assisting us in pursuing large donors. The less-fortunate residents of Cape May County are counting on you.
For more info, visit our website at www.FreeMealCenter.com. Donations can be sent to: TFMC, PO Box 863, CMCH, NJ 08210.
Thank you, from the Board of Directors: Burgess “Butch” Hamer, Joyce Jewell, Kathleen Matthews, Nick Nastasi.
DOUGLAS JEWELL
Burleigh
(ED. NOTE: Jewell is also a member of the Board of Directors.)
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
