PUTNEY — The Putney Foodshelf recently received notification from the IRS that it has earned its status as an independent nonprofit charitable organization.
The designation does not affect the Foodshelf in any way other than that organizers there can now plan for the future.
When the Foodshelf began in 2005 at the Genesis Church of the Brethren, it enjoyed 501(c)(3) status through the church. When the church closed in 2009, the Foodshelf moved to the Putney Community Center. That board allowed the Foodshelf to “umbrella” under its tax-exempt status and agreed to serve as fiscal agent.
That means donations to the Foodshelf have always been - and still are - tax-deductible.
The current group of volunteers, recognizing that the Foodshelf does not have the same mission as the Community Center, decided it would be best for the Foodshelf to have its own nonprofit status.
Emily Zervas, Kelli Moran, Annik Paul, and Susan Kochinskas met often to create bylaws and begin the paperwork required for filing for nonprofit status. John Barnett volunteered critical legal support. They filed with the IRS in August 2013 and received the status earlier this month.
Daily operations of the Foodshelf will not change. The Foodshelf is open twice a week for anyone needing supplemental food. Hours are 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays.
The Foodshelf doesn't qualify need: anyone who walks through the door receives food. No names or records are needed, though organizers ask for the number of people in each household and the household's ZIP code so they can document client need.