The Salt Mine

The Foundation provides grants to primarily offset food insecurity and make items available that are specific to Senior needs.

The Lincoln Hills Foundation has distributed $15,000 in grants to The Salt Mine to serve those seniors in need in the Lincoln area.

Salt Mine Grants

Neighbors Helping Neighbors–Our Support of The Salt Mine

By, Bonnita Wirth, Ph.D.—LH Foundation, Grants Committee

During the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis, many grocery items, meat, and fresh produce could not be purchased or were rationed. Grocery shopping, for those who had resources, had changed. For many people, obtaining what was considered a “needed” item, became their daily or weekly mission. They would scour on-line shopping sites or go to multiple stores to obtain toilet paper, eggs, sanitizing products, pasta, meat, etc. etc.

The nightly news was filled with stories of empty grocery shelves or special shopping hours for seniors, who are considered a vulnerable population. Neighbors started sharing food items and grocery shopping trips to limit exposure to the potential of the virus. Many people expressed concern and anxiety about the food supply in the nation.

It is estimated that “in Placer County nearly 30,000 adults age 60 and over do not know with certainty where their next meal will come from. Food insecure seniors are not necessarily food insecure all the time; it may simply reflect a need to make trade-offs between important basic needs such as housing, utilities, prescription medication, or purchasing nutritionally adequate food.” (Seniors First website).

One of our Neighbors who is assisting this community is The Salt Mine, a local public charity offering emergency services to the cities of Lincoln and Sheridan. The Salt Mine is sponsored by Vine Life Ministries, Inc., and has been in operation for over thirty-five years. Their Food Closet is funded by donations and through the proceeds from the sales at their Thrift Store in Lincoln (The Salt Mine Thrift Shop, 103 Flocchini Circle). In 2019 every dollar donated translated into two (2) meals for our community. All items sold in the Thrift Store are donated by local supporters. The Thrift Store helps to fund the Food Closet and other programs while also providing the community an affordable option for clothing, furniture, and a wide variety of household goods. In addition, The Salt Mine helps with emergency clothing, household items, and transportation. Other emergency needs are met on an ’as available basis’ or by referral such as bathing and laundry facilities to name a few.

The Lincoln Hills Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of The Salt Mine’s food programs for seniors. The feeding programs offer a variety of opportunities for food distribution, so no family needs to go without food. They offer monthly Pantry Boxes (which include bread, dairy, fresh vegetables and fruit, and meat products) for 14 days of meals, weekly USDA Emergency Food Assistance, and over 25 fresh food giveaways a month. In the fiscal year 2019, The Salt Mine served over 700 unduplicated seniors (people who came one time) and 8,000 duplicated seniors in their feeding programs. (Over 22 tons of food, nutrition, and hygiene products were distributed to seniors). The Salt Mine anticipates even more seniors will be assisted this year.

The Lincoln Hills Foundation of Sun City Lincoln Hills is a Community Benefit Corporation (501(c)(3) that uses 100% of all your donations to provide grants to agencies and groups enhancing the lives of the senior residents of Lincoln. We are highlighting one of the agencies that we help support through our grants. The Salt Mine’s programs allow many seniors to receive food so they can pay their rent, utilities, and other costs of living and be able to “live and thrive in our community.” Thank you for your support!!