South Park Meals on Wheels being forced out of closing church, needs space to make holiday food

SOUTH PARK TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A nonprofit in South Park just wants to continue helping people, but now it’s the one asking for help. They’re forced to find a new home days before Christmas.

Pam Mason has been running South Park Meals on Wheels out of a church’s basement for the last 35 years.

Volunteers, such as Bob Zickefoose, deliver homecooked, hot meals to about 75 seniors each weekday.

“I enjoy it; it’s helping the people,” Zickefoose said. “A lot of them are shut-in, so when we deliver, we’re like the first person they get to talk to a lot of times during that day. It’s pretty nice just to go and have a conversation with them.”

But time has now run out for the nonprofit.

Grace Lutheran Church, where South Park Meals on Wheels operates, is closing at the end of the year. Pastor Allyn Itterly told Channel 11 they’re sad but gave the nonprofit a notice at the start of the month to be out by Friday, Dec. 22. They have until Wednesday, Dec. 20 to cook their last set of meals.

“It’s the week of Christmas,” said Zickefoose. “That’s like evil, in my opinion. It just broke my heart that it even happened. There’s a lot of needy people. They could use that meal.”

The church recently decided to give the building to another nonprofit, Life Builders that works with the youth, after they say South Park Meals on Wheels missed the deadline by one day to operate independently.

“We are really sad that there are going to be people who are missing meals for a time, but whenever there is a transition, there’s often a transitional period of change and that’s where we are now,” Pastor Itterly said.

Mason said there’s been a lot of miscommunication and confusion surrounding a deal they thought was in place to let them stay in the building until the end of the month.

“I’m extremely upset that we have to stop cooking right now,” said Mason. “It’s awful. It’s hurting everybody.”

Now, the nonprofit is asking anyone who might have a place in the South Park area with a kitchen that’s big enough for them to carry on their mission and continue serving the community.

“We can’t not let these people eat,” Mason said. “We’ve been crying all week.”

As they pack up their food and supplies, they’re also scrambling to make as many meals as they can, so those who can’t cook on their own don’t go hungry on Christmas.

“There’s a lot of good that’s done in here every day,” Zickefoose said. “All the volunteers come in, they’re happy. They’re happy to do it. I just think it’s a shame that it’s being stopped the way that it is. I really do.”

The church’s pastor told Channel 11 there’s no timeline yet on when the other nonprofit will move into the space they’re being gifted because of some legalities they need to work out.

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