Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you only distribute shoes and blankets once a month?
In the past, we used to give out everything we had every time we were open. A guest could get a meal, a bag full of clothes, a coat, a blanket, and a pair of shoes every few days. After doing some soul-searching, reading, and observation, we realized we were doing our guests a disservice.
Our guests were taking far more than they needed, and wasting the abundance of resources available to them. We can’t fault them for it. It’s human nature. 99% of us say yes to free stuff, simply because its free. Instead, we faulted ourselves for giving people more than they needed. That excess taught our guests that they didn’t need to take good care of the items we provided. Anything extra could be given away, thrown away, or left behind because it could literally be replaced every few days.
We chose to switch to monthly distribution for more durable items (specifically shoes, coats, and blankets) for two reasons. First, we wish to be good stewards of the donations we receive - and specifically to empower our guests rather than to make them entitled or dependent. Second, we wish to challenge our guests to steward their resources well. As they learn to stretch their resources to ensure their long-term needs are met with less dependence on us, they get closer to being self sufficient.
Why are your “Artisan Gardens” program located in the alphabet streets?
Artisan Gardens began in the Alphabet Streets neighborhood before we were involved. Marci & Jay Sloan, of Artisan Fellowship Church, began that program as a mission of the church. We came alongside them a few years later, and eventually we had the opportunity to step into a larger role in that effort. Now we own and manage the gardens ourselves.
Our heart, as an organization, has been in the Alphabet Streets since we began in 2009. Before our organization even existed, our leaders made a habit of walking that neighborhood and praying with and for its residents. We wish to serve them, love them, and to develop that community as a partner with those who currently live there. Currently we do that through Artisan Gardens, as well as our transitional housing program, Village Homes.
We don’t expect Artisan Gardens to ever expand outside of the Alphabet Streets, but we do hope to eventually launch more garden and urban farming efforts to extend our reach within that community.
The LOT Project never asked for money in the past. Now it seems like you’re constantly fundraising. What changed?
In a word… growth! In the last 12 years, we went from a single paid employee to a staff of four. We went from operating one program to operating three programs (and preparing to launch a fourth). We went from renting one small space at 302 West Market Street to owning the entire building (with a mortgage) plus multiple properties in the alphabet streets. Most importantly, we went from serving a handful of people once a week to serving an entire community (over a thousand people a year) with a variety of services and resources.
Sustaining that growth, and continuing to grow, requires increased financial support. We are very blessed to have a wide variety of supporters including several churches, individual donors, foundations and grants, and some corporate donors. We also do our absolute best to manage our resources well, to maximize the efficiency and impact of every dollar we receive, and to serve God and our community well. But keep in mind that non of our current programs generate positive revenue (hence the name ”nonprofit”)… so the more we do, the more support we will need.
What questions do you have that we can answer? Share in the comments to have them answered publicly, or send them to info@thelotproject.com and we can answer them privately.