El Dorado Springs Hope Center: Serving the community

The El Dorado Springs Hope Center in administered by the El Dorado Springs Ministerial Association. Members of the Hope Center Board include pastors from various local churches, business people and just regular community centered folks. The large white facility at the corner of East Fields St. and S. Forrest St. (across the street from the El Dorado Springs Senior Center), houses the office for two separate programs that distribute food to qualified individuals and families in the local area. The Food Pantry is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. till noon. In addition, the Ozark Food Harvest Commodities Program supplies food from 8-10:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month. To determine if you qualify, stop by the center on Tuesday or Thursday morning and discuss it with on of the staff.

Food provided by these programs is predominantly processed items such as canned soup and vegetables, cereal, staples such as flour, sugar, oil and of course Mac and Cheese and peanut butter and jelly. Some frozen foods, including meat and packaged items may also be available. These programs serve an average of 340 individuals and 170 families each month.

Sometimes the shelves are stocked with food, other times the cupboard is a little bare.

If you drive by the area you will notice a large area of lush green and varied vegetation. Some of the plants are short and dense; some are tall and thin. Moreover, several plants are growing on eight feet tall trellises. Looking more closely you may see green, red and yellow vegetables hanging from the plants. The beautiful sign with flowers at its base explains it all. This is the Hope Center Garden of Hope. While occasionally referred to as a “community garden,” it is not such in the traditional sense. Most community gardens invite community members to “own” a specific plot on which they can plant, grow and harvest their own vegetables. While that may happen in the future, today all vegetables produced are distributed through the Food Pantry.

Recognizing a lack of fresh produce for some individuals and families, Ministerial Association board members brainstormed solutions to the need for healthy locally grown food. Lo and behold, two years ago the Garden of Hope was born. Now in its second full year of operation, the garden is on track to provide over 1,200 pounds of fresh vegetables this summer and fall. Tomatoes, peppers (bell and jalapeno), green beans, cucumbers and squash have been and are currently being grown, harvested and distributed through the Hope Venter. Always open to new ideas, garden supervisors added okra and sweet potatoes to the menu this summer.

The big news around the Hope Center is the establishment of a pollinator garden for 2025. An area of 1,200 square feet is currently being prepared for the project. Plants and bushes known to attract beneficial insects and hummingbirds are being planted this fall and early springs. People will be invited to walk through the garden to view all the activity. This garden addition is the Girl Scout Gold Award Project of El Dorado Springs High School senior Jennie Seitz.

Girl Scout and ElDo High School senior student Jennie Seitz puts in a Sedum plant at the soon to be pollinator garden.

Jennie Seitz learning about honey bees, important garden pollinators.

The services offered by the Hope Center would not be possible without a board and diverse network of businesses, organizations and individual volunteers. Woods Supermarket in El Dorado Springs and Walmart in Nevada donate a wide range of food items weekly. The local Eagles Club holds an auction every year with all proceeds going to the Center. Various ElDo and SW Missouri churches contribute cash and food items regularly. Our High School FFA raises and provides plants in the spring and sends wonderful students on Volunteers Day. Classes at the grade school compete to see who can provide the most pounds of food. The City of El Dorado Springs provided services to establish the garden initially.

The local chapter of Eastern Star, El Dorado Springs Post Office, the Harwood Royal Neighbor Club and the local State Farm Insurance Agency hold annual drives with proceeds going to the Center. In addition, the State of Missouri Extension Office in Cedar County has written successful grant proposals for the Garden of Hope equipment the past two years.

Garden personnel and a representative from the University of Missouri Extension Office provide weekly hands-on educational experiences to children from the WeeCare Center at the garden.

While food distribution is a primary focus of the Hope Center, it is not the only service. In partnership with West Central Missouri Community Action Agency the hope Center sponsors and supervises shower nights for ElDo residents twice a month and will again offer a warming shelter on the coldest winter nights at the Liston Center on North Main St.

Of course, people need not be part of an organization to help out. Many community individuals faithfully donate to the cause. A local “egg lady” supplied more than 400 dozen eggs from her flock of chickens last year. Those birds provide only eggs, so clean, used egg cartons are always in demand. Another individual faithfully purchases and then donates small containers of cooking oil, sugar and flour every month. Since food is distributed in plastic bags, the Food Pantry is always in need of bags. Rather than tossing them in the trash, folks donate their used bags.

Packaged food items are accepted from community members if they meet the agency’s food guidelines. People contribute what they can. Everything helps and every gift makes a difference.

While the Center enjoys an impressive array of partnerships and individuals to serve the community, many needs remain unfilled. Thus, partnerships with community organizations and businesses are always welcome. If you would like to be a part of this vital and exciting community serving endeavor, contact one of the following Hope Center Board members: Chad Daniel, Steve Singleton, Ron Marsh, Joyce Dawson, Randy Bland, Toshua Barnes-McCormick, Rita Miller or Dan Yoder.