FARMINGTON -- LIFE Ministries of Prairie Grove has closed its Farmington resale store but will continue to use a separate unit in the same retail center to store food so it can expand its food pantry, according to Keith Bostian, vice chairman of the ministries' board of directors.
Bostian said the board made the "hard" decision to close the resale shop and said the decision was "not taken lightly" but was made after lots of discussion.
LIFE Ministries had signed a two-year lease on its Farmington shop and was reassessing it as part of the discussion, Bostian said.
The Farmington resale shop has done well but not as well as the board expected, he said.
"We certainly appreciate all those who volunteered in Farmington," Bostian said. "They did a very good job. For whatever reason, it didn't quite meet up with what our goals were in general for sustainability."
The ministries' concern now, Bostian said, is food shortage and food security because of inflation, the war in Ukraine and rising prices.
In a news release about closing the Farmington resale shop, LIFE Ministries said the food pantry outreach programs have grown exponentially and the need to expand the food pantry has become apparent.
"These shortages will affect a large number of families in our communities," the news release said. "After much prayer and consideration, we have decided to focus on food security -- by closing the Farmington location, we can utilize the space for the expansion of our food pantry. With the rising costs of food purchases and current shortages we believe it is good stewardship to 'stock' the pantry now before prices climb higher."
The majority of the food that LIFE Ministries gives away is purchased from the NWA Food Bank, Aldi or Walmart. Other food comes through donations, and the nonprofit organization encourages people to donate to the food pantry to help those in need.
Sometimes, these food sources may have a run on certain products and the space in Farmington will give LIFE Ministries a place to store additional food items, Bostian said.
Along with increasing its food storage, Bostian said LIFE Ministries also has purchased vegetable seeds from Chicken Holler in Farmington and is giving those to people who want to start a garden.
The Farmington resale store at 12204 W. U.S. 62 opened in July 2019.
Cindy Dobbs, board chair, said everything from the Farmington store will be moved to Prairie Grove, and then volunteers will come in and patch holes and do any repairs needed before the lease is up on April 30. Dobbs said the ministry will renew its lease on a separate unit in the same retail center. This is the space that has been used as a drop-off for donations.
Janece Vines, who has coordinated the Farmington shop, said her volunteers have met many wonderful people in the Farmington community since the store opened and they've received many compliments on the resale shop.
"It felt like we all turned into friends," Vines said.
She said volunteers at the store have included Pam Parks, Phyllis Amerine, Karen Gerwig, Bettie Carter, Kathy Campbell, Karen Odom, Margie Bridge, Christina Thomson, Vicki Spranza and Sandi Hart.
Vines also gave out a teaser, "Maybe just keep your eyes open for us because you just might find us starting another endeavor to serve our community."
Bostian said everything will remain the same for the Prairie Grove location at 881 Stills Road. The Prairie Grove resale shop is open 9 a.m. to noon, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The assistance office is open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for people to apply for assistance with clothing, food and prescriptions.
LIFE Ministries gives away food for people 62 and older on the fourth Saturday of the month at the Prairie Grove location.
In addition to these ministries, the organization provides college scholarships, and this year it will give two scholarships to Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln graduates. These scholarships are solely based on a student's volunteerism, not academics or athletics.
Bostian said LIFE Ministries' purpose is to serve western Washington County and it has done that for more than 30 years with the help and support of area communities. It is an all-volunteer organization.
He asked residents to continue to support LIFE Ministries by donating to the resale store or with food donations. In addition, he said volunteers are always needed. To volunteer, contact Becca at 479-846-5433.