LADOGA — Surrounded by empty desks inside a historic downtown commercial building, Diane Cross remembers when the floor of this old bank office was concrete.
“Me and my sisters practically grew up in this room because it’s where Dad had his trucks and stuff,” said Cross, who worked on used cars there in what used to be a garage.
As Hoosier Heartland State Bank prepared to move its headquarters out of the quarter-block-sized building, Cross envisioned opening up space for Mountie Mission, her nonprofit organization next door.
The agency recently secured grant funding from North Central Health Services to purchase the building, providing more room for donated clothes, food and other necessities distributed to area families.
There will also be facilities for a substance abuse counselor and supervised visitations, along with meeting space for Mountie Mission’s board of directors.
“This is the third time we’ve outgrown our space. I hope it’s the last time,” Cross said.
As donations come in, the food pantry has spread out across two different areas in the current space. Furniture is stored in multiple buildings around Ladoga. Due to the lack of room, Cross has had to turn away donations, including clothes.
The bank allowed Cross to store some of the donations in its building.
Once the building is purchased, an entire room will be dedicated to the food pantry. Other rooms will be used for shoes, elder care supplies and baby items.
Mountie Mission is seeking donations for some brickwork, painting and updates to the building.
Contributions may be sent to P.O. Box 54, Ladoga, IN 47954 or through PayPal. The agency also participates in Kroger Community Rewards and Amazon Smiles.
