Solanco Neighborhood Ministries (SNM) is nearing the completion of its renovations and move to a new location and is asking for assistance from the community with the final steps of the process. The ministry will be located at 14 S. Church St. in Quarryville, which is close to 1 mile from the previous building.

Those interested in helping out may sign up to volunteer on Saturdays, Sept. 17 and Sept. 24. Each day will have two shifts available; the first shift will be from 8 to 11:30 a.m., and the second will be from 12:30 to 4 p.m. SNM requires volunteers to be at least 16 years old and able to lift at least 25 pounds; the organization hopes to have 25 to 30 volunteers for each shift. The first day of work will primarily consist of heavy lifting, such as moving office furniture to the new building, assembling shelves for the food bank and transferring several frozen food items. The second day will focus on packing up the current food bank and loading multiple canned goods onto trucks and trailers so they can be moved to the new building.

SNM will use the relocation to expand its programs and increase the scope with which it can help the community. "The biggest changes to the building are bringing the HVAC up to code, establishing a good flow and layout for visitors when they come in and making it easier to access the food bank," said Teresa Dolan, executive director of SNM. Dolan noted that although renovations are nearing completion, the organization is 25% short of its fundraising goal. To donate, visit http://www.solanconeighborhoodministries.org.

Dolan said that SNM had been looking for a new location for a couple years in order to expand its services. The new building, which was formerly a Masonic lodge, was purchased in December of 2020. "The Masons wanted the building to be used by a church or ministry, so we when got connected with them, they were thrilled," said Dolan.

The new location will have seven offices, which Dolan plans to share with other community organizations. "We want to bring services normally offered only in Lancaster city to the Southern End. Right now, we meet basic and crisis needs, but the addition of other organizations will allow us to help our families get the skills and resources they need to become stable," said Dolan. SNM will also have access to two new program rooms that will allow it to host family programs on-site. Among the programs being developed for the new location are budget workshops, nutrition classes, workforce development opportunities and high school equivalency courses.

For more information or to register as a volunteer, contact SNM at 717-786-4308 or email office@snministries.org.