By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Operation Bootstrap is looking to double its warehouse space.
Roseann DeBot, executive director of Operation Bootstrap, told the Golden Sands Home Builders Association Tuesday, Jan. 15, that Bootstrap hopes to begin construction of an addition to its building in the Stevens Point Industrial Park this spring.
John Krupka, president of the association, said the group will perform the labor during construction of the addition as a donation to the program, just as it had done when the initial facility was constructed.
DeBot said circumstances dictate construction of additional space. More people are seeking help from Bootstrap than ever before, she said, and Bootstrap is able to receive semi-trailers full of free food, if it has space to unload and store it. "We never envisioned getting food in semis free," she said.
Plans are still being finalized for the facility, and Tuesday's announcement was the first public report about the project. DeBot said fund-raising plans are also being discussed.
DeBot said she welcomed the association's donation. "You people built the building," she said, adding that others donated appliances, equipment, carpeting, bulletin boards and other items.
Continuing services are donated, such as accounting, she said. "All workers are volunteers."
Operation Bootstrap began more than 30 years ago, initiated at a service club luncheon by a nun who said the greatest need in the community was for food and shelter for the increasing number of people knocking at church doors, seeking immediate assistance.
Bob Livingstone said he would contribute the first $1,000 if the nun got something going, and she did, with DeBot getting involved in the program.
"Over the years, we have come from this little group to become part of a large community," she said, referring to Bootstrap's growth, initially storing items in volunteers' homes until it was able to build the facility.
DeBot said there are hungry people in Portage County. "I see them every day."
She related stories of some who came seeking help. "A man waiting for a food basket asked if he could eat a banana while he waited because he was so hungry," she said. "Some people are barely able to say thanks because they are in tears. Others are vehement that this is going to be the only time."
A community response team has been tracking different needs and trying to see where those needs should be helped. "The one thing constant is the need for emergency food has risen," she said.
DeBot said the need today has increased, with many people working shorter hours. "In many cases, they haven't been laid off, they're just working less hours," she said, using the example of one man who worked four 12-hour days but now is just working four five-hour days.
"We have never been called on for so much help," she said.
As that need has risen, the community continues to raise the funds to meet that need, she said, pointing to Rosholt Middle School students collecting more than $600 in pennies, Ben Franklin Junior High School students and choir raising funds.
Bootstrap has a monthly milk bill of $1,200, she said, personal checks and company checks help to meet that expense.
A group of families held a rummage sale to raise money for Bootstrap, she said, and the children had a Kool-Aid stand that raised another $65, receiving additional money when they told customers the money was going to Bootstrap.
DeBot said one girl brought $65 to Bootstrap after she collected the money by going door-to-door in her neighborhood. The girl had received food from Bootstrap and wanted to help someone else, she said.
In addition to food, Bootstrap helps in other situations, she said, using the example of elderly residents who needed $625 worth of prescriptions per month, but only earned $605. "Because of grants, we could help these people out," she said. Bootstrap can also help with some rent, medical and dental matters.
When Bootstrap built its present facility, DeBot said the program never envisioned receiving food in semis.
The Copps Co. informed Bootstrap about a reclamation point in Minneapolis, Minn., where stores returned products they no longer wanted to sell and Copps and Copps/Roundys has helped bring the items to Stevens Point.
"We get two semis at once," she said. "We get 120 people, unload the semis and sort the food. We throw out the bad and clean up the rest which is good. We have to able to get about 80 percent usable items."
Bootstrap received one semi of a product, she said, because the packages had been labeled incorrectly.
That supply, however, has created a problem of where to put the products.
"We need more space so we can take free food," she said. "We need to be able to take this free food and use it. We need places to put bulk items or things we don't need all the time. And we need more office space."
Being able to store the free food, reduces expenses. "We just can't afford to buy too much food," she said.
When the current facility was built, the loading dock was constructed for trucks. Now Bootstrap badly needs an overhead door so volunteers who deliver food can drive their car or van into the building and load it.
Someone has already donated $5,000 for the addition, DeBot said, but she doesn't know if someone will be as generous as with the initial facility, when an anonymous donor gave $38,000.