Berea Faith Community Outreach

Berea Faith Community Outreach, Inc. (BFCO) is an association of churches, community organizations and active and retired clergy working in the Berea area. BFCO administers three aid programs — BUURR, Food Bank, and the Frank Gailey Transient and Emergency Assistance Fund — to meet the housing, nutritional and other material needs of at-risk individuals and families in the community. Berea Baptist Church Berea Friends Meeting Berea United Methodist Church Bonner Foundation Crisis Ministry Program E4 Unity Ministry Farristown Baptist Church First Baptist Church, Middletown First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Berea Glades Christian Church Habitat for Humanity of Madison & Clark Counties Hospice Care Plus River of Life Foursquare Gospel Church St. Clare Catholic Church Saint Joseph–Berea Hospital Union Church Westside Baptist Church White Lick Baptist Church White’s Memorial Presbyterian Church  On behalf of these organizations, BFCO is administered by a board of directors: Dave Kobersmith, President Shirley Carlberg, V.P./Gailey Fund Exec. Dir. Tony Crachiolo, Food Bank/BUURR Exec. Dir. Billie Dyer, Secretary Dale Barlow, Financial Secretary Terri Reynolds, Treasurer Sarah Rohrer Amber Shaffer Jessica Burton Bruce Spencer Erin Carpenter Jim Oliver Annual Reports: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |

June 1, 2026 Changing Times We were founded on change. Over thirty years ago area churches banded together to create a more comprehensive strategy to address hunger in Berea. They decided to pool their resources in one place and Berea Food Bank was born with a wider range of food, hours of operation, and its own dedicated volunteer staff. As the population of Berea grew the number of people coming to us for assistance grew as well. Over twenty years ago we incorporated as Berea Faith Community Outreach to better attract financial donors who could claim tax deductions for donations. This change fueled the creation of a utility and rent assistance program, Bereans United for Utility and Rent Relief, and helped Berea Food Bank purchase a few needed items each month. Financial support increased as a result of these changes–our ability to help the number of Bereans asking for assistance grew, too. We soon outgrew the church basement that had been our home. We moved to a house owned by and donated for our use by the City of Berea. A decade ago we outgrew that space as the City was planning the new Municipal Building in 2015. They offered us a larger house with upgraded storage and electrical system that could handle multiple freezers and refrigerators. This house is our home today. The financial emergency created by the pandemic in 2020 demanded more change. We began asking for financial donations rather than food item donations, a change which allowed us to greatly increase the amount and quality of food we provide. As Berea’s population grew 8% over the last six years and high inflation chipped away at family budgets, we’ve seen an increase of over fifty percent in the number of families applying for assistance over this same period. Private donors like you make it possible to meet the nutritional needs of Bereans in need. Today we face another set of challenges that are demanding a response. Our costs to purchase groceries, while still lower than retail costs, have nearly doubled over the last five years. Because of the increased cost, we have been unable to fund Bereans United for Utility and Rent Relief year-round as we have done in the past. BUURR is now a seasonal program active in winter. It is time to change if we are to continue helping our neighbors in need. Reserves we built up in 2020-2023 for our programs have dwindled and our current fundraising model has become inadequate to meet all needs going forward–especially in these trying times when everything costs so much more than it did only a year ago. As we look toward 2027 we know that additional funds are required to meet the future ready to help Bereans in need. We’ve decided to pursue additional funding through institutional, business, and industry donors and grants to support Berea Food Bank and Bereans United for Utility and Rent Relief. This decision was long in the making and not taken lightly because pursuing such funding will need to be done by a full-time employee and we’ve always been so proud of our 100% volunteer status. It is part of our frugal use of every donation that helped over 90% of every dollar go directly to aid. We will continue to exceed non-profit industry standards, which currently designate 20% of every dollar being used to raise funds the gold standard, and keep our fundraising costs at 10%. Under this new plan, our Executive Director, Tony Crachiolo, will take on this responsibility. We have high hopes for the plan’s success: our friends at Astemo Manufacturing in Berea have already made their first ever donation of $2,600 after a long period of development work. With time, patience, and smart work we believe that not only will this change allow us to sustain what we’re doing now but also allow us to grow–with you and the greater community doing their part for our neighbors in need. Some things will never change. We will remain a different kind of pantry, putting people over paperwork, and offering a warm welcome to everyone who comes to us for aid. No one will ever be turned away from Berea Food Bank empty handed. Period. We were founded on change. For three decades we’ve adapted to meet the needs of Bereans. We hope you’ll stand with us as we enter another new era in our ongoing work toward a day when hunger and cold find no home in Berea.”