Ladle Wish List

Below are listed some of Ladle's current needs. The cost ranges given are our estimates—we have yet to seek estimates from vendors/contractors.

Equipment

• We need a Flatbed/stake-bed truck or large van to transport Food Bank items. Fulfilled
• We need bike racks for Date Street (Sundays), the Patio (Sundays), and behind the bus stop on fourth ave.
• We need an additional freezer to take greater advantage of bargain bulk food items. Fulfilled

Improvement Projects

• We need one additional toilet and one additional urinal in the men's bathroom. This will require removing some existing walls, adding some new walls, and extensive plumbing and electrical work. ($20,000–$30,000)
• A dream of ours is to install showers where homeless people can clean up once or twice a week. There are few such facilities available in San Diego. The only one we are aware of is the Neil Good Day Center, and many of the homeless are reluctant to go there. ($60,000–$110,000)
• We need new ceiling and lighting in our stock room. We currently use a cellar type space to store all our canned goods, blankets, and clothing. Our store room does not have a proper ceiling and the lighting is very poor. The volunteers who work there would cheer to have a new ceiling and better lighting. ($2,500 – $4,000)
• We need an additional storage room to be built or a portable storage unit. ($3,000–$5,000)
• We need a part-time office assistant. Although Ladle uses many volunteers to do the tasks associated with this ministry, a regular paid office assistant, working 20 hours a week, would make a world of difference for the Ladle Director. ($18,000–$25,000)
• We need to replace many of our paper signs (large and small) with permanent plastic-coated ones. ($600–$800)

Wishes That Have Been Granted

A number of our previous wish list items have been provided. Some of these are listed below. We thank God and our generous donors for making these wishes a reality.

• We obtained a replacement for our old soup kettle ($20,000). The old kettle was more than 25 years old. It had been temperamental for some time and required a number of repairs.
• We obtained a commercial washer and dryer ($1800). This allows us to do a clothing exchange. Many homeless people simply throw away otherwise good clothing when they become dirty. We are also able to wash our own kitchen towels and aprons instead of sending them to a commercial laundry.
• We hired a new employee who will organize the Saturday Food Distributions, pick up and store supplies, and serve as the Kitchen Manager.