Prospect United Methodist Church in Prospect Park, home to the food bank Delco Helping Hands, has run out of money and may soon close, jeopardizing the food bank, writes Madeleine Wright for CBS Philadelphia, as reported in MSN.
Pastor Sterling Eaton said it costs $10,000 year just to heat the church in winter.
“When it comes to a church of this size, we can house about 300 members in the church,” Pastor Eaton said, “so it takes a lot to heat a building of this size.”
Prospect’s operational costs are going up as membership declines. It currently has 25 congregants.
The church’s financial troubles impact Delco Helping Hands, a food pantry in the basement co-founded by Kristin Miller.
Delco Helping Hands serves about 200 families a month, providing essentials like diapers and baby wipes. If the church closes, the nonprofit would need to find a new home.
“It’s a scary thought,” Miller said. “It took us time to find the location. We originally started this process and we were running pantries in our homes.”
Pastor Eaton said the church is exploring grants and membership outreach, hoping to remain a beacon of light to the community.
Find out more about the fate of Prospect church and Delco Helping Hands at MSN.
