Lodi’s nonprofits reach financial goals with strong support

Each year nonprofits across the country provide services to millions of people in need, but how exactly are they able to do this?

Lodi’s nonprofits say that the financial and in-kind donations provided by local businesses and community organizations is what allows them to continue serving the community.

“We could not do it without them. We would not exist if it was not for the camaraderie and the businesses coming alongside of us,” said Cheryl Francis, director of Grace and Mercy in Lodi.

Francis said that Grace and Mercy receives assistance from several local business and community organizations, including Food 4 Less, Costco, Buy 4 Less, Big Lots, Panera Bread, Woodbridge Winery, Jessie’s Grove Winery, Weibel Winery, Walmart, First Baptist Church, Jillian’s Consignments and several more.

“We can always go to them if there is a special need, and they will always make it a point to try to provide and assist us whenever we need,” Francis said.

Woodbridge Winery and Jessie’s Grove have been especially generous to Grace and Mercy, Francis said. First Baptist has also been very supportive.

Grace and Mercy has no city, state or federal funding and all the staff are volunteers. With the help of these local businesses, Grace and Mercy is able to utilize the food and finances to continue providing services and keep the doors open. Because they are provided with food from several local business and community organizations, they are able to use the funds they would otherwise use on the food to pay for the bills and upkeep of the building, Francis said.

“There is compassion from the businesses about what we do, and so they believe in us and they know that what they do for us, whether it be inkind or monetarily, they know we’re going to use it for exactly the purpose that it’s given. It’s a trust issue. They trust us to do what it is that we do.”

With the assistance from the community, Grace and Mercy is able to service about 42,000 people a year. In addition to serving meals, Grace and Mercy also provides food and nourishment to various organizations and ministries, sometimes serving up to 200 to 300 people at a time. Grace and Mercy aids about 107 different ministries serving people as far away as Jackson and Patterson. A majority of these ministries are focused on children and seniors, Francis said.

Because of the generosity of the community and local businesses, Grace and Mercy has been able to start work on adding a day center for the homeless to its facility. Grace and Mercy originally secured grant funding for the project, but declined because they felt it wasn’t a good fit for the nonprofit.

However, several local businesses have stepped up and made contributions to help them with the project. Once it’s complete, Grace and Mercy will be open Monday, Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday to service the homeless and provide a bathroom for them to use. Grace and Mercy broke ground on the project last week, Francis said.

“I am simply elated that we will be able to do more in the community to address the homeless situation,” Francis said.

Francis added that Grace and Mercy is in need of funding for the project and she is reaching out to the community seeking donations.

Grace and Mercy is not the only nonprofit benefiting from the assistance of local businesses, Lodi House heavily relies on contributions from local businesses and organizations, executive director Shelby Young said.

“We have a lot of community support and a number of financial donations which obviously pay for food, electricity and case management. That’s probably the biggest role businesses play in Lodi House,” Young said.

Lodi House also continues to develop partnerships with businesses in the community in order to provide more job opportunities for the women that stay in their shelter.

In-kind donations also help keep Lodi House running.

According to Young, De Vinci’s provides food for Lodi House every Wednesday and for the past two years, Van Ruiten Winery holds a Christmas event and donates the proceeds to Lodi House. Greenfield Property Management manages the apartments for their transitional housing program at no cost. Oak Farm Vineyards has agreed to be the host for Lodi House’s next fundraising event and will be providing the wine for the event as well. Five Windows Beer Co. will also be providing craft beer for that event, Young said.

Local businesses also provide items for silent auction fundraisers. LangeTwins Winery is giving away a dinner at the winery as one of the auction prizes. Several wineries also donate wine for the auctions, Young said.

The list of financial, in-kind and employment donors for Lodi House is long and Young is very appreciative of all the support the nonprofit has received from the community.

“Lodi House couldn’t exist without it,” she said. “We would spend a lot more time pursuing grants, which does take away from focus on the mission and the actual program of Lodi House. When the community supports us financially, it allows us to put all of our energy into that actual program of Lodi House.”

Because of all the support, Lodi House is able to help woman and children rehabilitate their lives and gain longterm stability. They provide counseling, money management and help the women secure employment and find housing so they are able to be independent and take care of their families in the long run.

The Lodi Salvation Army is another nonprofit that relies on assistance from local businesses. Major Mark Thielenhaus said the Salvation Army receives about $1 million annually in in-kind donations which allows the organization to keep the doors open and continue the programs it provides to the community. Like Young and Francis, Thielenhaus said every in-kind donation is something they don’t have to pay for with cash. The donations make up about a third to half of the Salvation Army’s annual operating budget, and without the Salvation Army, would have to cut a significant amount of services it provides to the community, Thielenhaus said.

“We have lots of local places that take very good care of us year around, both corporations and individuals,” Thielenhaus said. “Everything from Annette Murdaca at Pietro’s to others that are involved with Second Harvest Food Bank giving us food and others that aren’t a part of Second Harvest Food Bank that also give us food. It really is a massive amount of giving that our local places do to support us. ”

Grocery Outlet, Safeway, S-Mart, Target and Walmart provide food on a weekly basis to assist with the Salvation Army’s food boxes as well as the meals they serve at their shelter.

Farmers & Merchants Bank provides financial assistance several times a year along with a host of other local corporations and businesses, Thielenhaus said.

With the assistance from the businesses, in 2017 the Salvation Army was able to serve 102,078 hot meals, provide 16,262 food boxes, provide utility assistance to 126 people and rental assistance to 18 people along with several other services.