For many years, the friars were faced with the twofold problem of wild, drug-fueled raves next door and the looming threat of the building being sold to a developer who could force the Pantry and Kitchen to close. Faced with no real alternatives, increasing danger and threats, cramped space in the Health Center, limited storage for the Pantry, and other challenges, we set out to buy back the building.

Through generous gifts from the Knights and Dames of Malta, including both communal and individual contributions, the former parish center was acquired at the end of 2024. This means that we own the property and have the commitment of the friars to be here for good.

Our building is divided into three floors. On the bottom floor, we have the Food Pantry, Soup Kitchen, and Poverello Health Center. To say things are cramped is an understatement!

The second floor is divided into two sections: the kitchen and dining area and the former classrooms. With the second floor currently empty, we plan to move the Poverello Health Center into the former classrooms, effectively tripling their space!

The kitchen is currently used by Fat Friar Confections to bake delicious cookies sold to raise money for the Food Pantry. The Knights and Dames of Malta are returning to Assumption this fall to host their monthly Pancake Breakfasts for the community in the kitchen and dining space as well.

With the space freed up on the first floor, the Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen will undergo much-needed renovation and expansion. The Soup Kitchen will be moved and brought up to date with new industrial equipment, making it more efficient and better able to meet the needs of our community.

The Food Pantry will increase its storage capacity as well as make our storage space accessible by pallet jack, enabling us to take on more food with ease.

Finally, the third floor will continue to be rented to the Tillie’s Touch soccer and tutoring program for kids. This program, spearheaded by Dale Johnson and his family, has proven to be an amazing asset to the community and continues to change lives every day.

Once the building was successfully purchased and the former tenants were gone, an all-out effort to clean the space began. Mountains of garbage and paraphernalia were taken out.

In March, a group of Catholic students from Towson University in Maryland came for a spring break mission trip. Together, we filled two dumpsters and cleaned the place like never before!

Work began immediately: electrical rewiring, plumbing, boiler evaluation and retubing, gas lines being run, several coats of paint, patching up walls, hot water being restored to the second floor, grease traps, and much more!

After much of the remedial work had been accomplished, it became obvious that much more work would be required to really get us in a better position to serve our community.

With rising food costs and supplemental resources becoming more limited, we have been faced with storage constraints as we try to meet the growing need in the area. Our Health Center has been stuffed into its space for years, and with more room, they will be able to expand their services and minister to our neighbors with room to breathe.

We will also be replacing windows throughout the second floor. Once this is complete in early November, the Health Center will migrate upstairs.

So, with your generous help, we will be able to succeed in our mission to minister to those who need it most.

Our building was built well over 100 years ago and has stood the test of time…but she is indeed in need of much work and continuous maintenance. This Campaign total represents the capital we need to make the changes necessary to carry out our mission and reach even more people. But it also lays aside an endowment from which we can collect interest to run our Ministry Center for years to come.

As the spendable capital is collected, it will be put to great use. Renovating anything these days incurs great costs.

If we meet our goal, we are confident that we will be able to make all of the planned repairs and changes, as well as be able to run our building off the interest accrued from the endowment.

Having purchased the building, raised this capital, and continued to build up our already amazing connections in the community, we will be planted firmly in the ground to be the giving hands that reach out to the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized.