Lebanon Area Foundation awards $12,590 to help Crosslines.

Nicole Dautenhahn, Melissa Blankenship, Melinda Fries, Bob Fields, Joe Hensley, Tennille Davis, Linda Randolph, and Ellen Martin.

Lebanon Area Foundation awards $12,590 to help Crosslines.

When an air conditioning unit failed at Crosslines Ministry during the summer heat, Executive Director Melisa Blankenship faced an expense that could cut into the money available to help local families.

The heat inside the building had already caused a volunteer to struggle. Repairs could not wait. Then came more unwelcome news: the building’s other two heating and cooling units were aging, too.

Blankenship reached out to Lebanon Area Foundation for help. That request led to a $12,590 grant through the foundation’s Legacy Fund, covering the expense of the initial air conditioning replacement and providing funds toward replacing the other two units.

For Crosslines, the support means keeping the building usable while protecting resources meant for the people who depend on its services.

“Rather than taking from the community, I wanted to try to reach out and find funds to take care of that,” Blankenship said.

A building that makes the work possible

Melinda Fries, executive director of Lebanon Area Foundation, presented the grant alongside foundation representatives and Crosslines volunteers. She explained that the Legacy Fund supports physical improvements such as heating and cooling systems, electrical work, flooring and remodeling.

Past projects have included work on the library’s roof and the parking lot between Crosslines and COPE.

Bob Fields, chairperson of the foundation’s endowment committee, joined the presentation. The committee reviews requests throughout the year and considers how best to use the available funds.

Fries said this grant addresses both the expense Crosslines had already faced and the replacement costs ahead. Along with another air conditioning unit, the building has a combined air conditioning and furnace unit nearing the end of its useful life.

The building houses far more than a food pantry. Crosslines provides clothing, shoes, hygiene products and household goods. Through annual Community Cares grants, it also helps eligible residents with rent and electric bills.

Blankenship said the organization keeps its own expenses as low as possible so more of what it receives can reach the community.

Years of service behind the shelves

The presentation also offered a chance to hear from volunteers whose service has helped sustain Crosslines for decades.

Linda, a founding board member, recalled the ministry’s beginnings in a small white house near the Methodist church. Several local churches had recognized that people were visiting multiple locations seeking assistance and wanted to establish a central place where they could receive help.

Linda said she has served Crosslines for 35 years and began volunteering full time after retiring in 2010. The friendships among volunteers from local churches and the wider community have kept that work meaningful.

“It’s just a wonderful organization to be associated with,” she said.

Ellen, who estimated she has served on the board for 16 or 17 years, described how practical household items can help someone begin again. Crosslines has helped women leaving domestic violence situations establish homes for themselves and their children, providing necessities such as towels, pots, pans and clothing.

Room for more helping hands

Blankenship said volunteers are essential to keeping those services available. Donations must be sorted, shelves and shopping areas maintained, and visitors assisted at the food pantry and front desk. Crosslines sometimes receives roughly 100 bags of donations at a time, multiple times a week.

Keeping the space orderly matters to her. People coming in for help should be able to find what they need without added stress.

Fries also emphasized that Crosslines in Lebanon operates separately from Crosslines in Springfield. Money raised for the Springfield organization does not come to Lebanon.

Residents interested in volunteering, donating or learning about assistance can contact Crosslines or visit its Facebook page.

“I know everybody doesn’t have time to do something, but there’s usually just some little thing that everybody can do,” Blankenship said. “And if we all work together, we can all help each other. And that makes a difference.”