In response to Mary Colborn’s Oct. 30 column (“I’m starting to question whether the nonprofit model works”), my response to both would be a resounding “Yes it does.”

I’m curious to know though, if the food grown in this community garden went to hungry people who needed it, why does she view her garden project as a failed experiment?

Having served as the director of the South Kitsap Helpline in Port Orchard since 2002, I am regularly in contact with many of the children, adults and senior citizens who receive services from our agency.

I can guarantee that the efforts made by Helpline and our community to put food on their tables and to help make their lives better are sincerely appreciated.

Every single day someone expresses their gratitude to our staff or volunteers for the help we provide. As with any type of business, there is always a small percentage of people for whom nothing will ever be right, but that is to be expected.

The majority of people we serve are extremely grateful.

What reward do we receive for our efforts? We certainly don’t need a pat on the back.

Those of us who choose to do this type of work don’t require any recognition at all. Our reward is the relief we see on the faces of the people that leave our food bank.

They now have food to feed their hungry children for a few more days.

Our staff and volunteers don’t want trophies, plaques or anything superficial to reinforce something that we already know — we are making a difference, one person, one family, one single squash or tomato at a time.

I suggest that Mary look at the numbers our agency served last year to see our nonprofit agency is in fact making a difference, along with the support of our community.

More than 14,000 local families received help from our agency last year.

That family count is made up of more than 44,000 local children, adults and senior citizens who might have otherwise gone hungry.

As a small nonprofit, we can’t solve the world’s problems, but we are making a difference by doing what we do best — feeding people.

Helpline has had its challenges over the years.

Each time we have found a way to continue to serve the hungry in record numbers, with those numbers increasing each year.

When South Kitsap Helpline needed to find a permanent home 10 years ago, the agency moved to the Westbay Center, then a very dilapidated building under very different ownership on the tail end of Bay Street.

This “expensive property along the Bay Street waterfront” was the only place in town to house this 7,500-square-foot operation that was on the bus line.

We are not a glamorous business that attracts big spenders. We are a “Not-in-My-Backyard” type of business.

We are a food bank and thrift store and are about as far from the lap of luxury as you can get.

However, we have worked very hard over the years to find a permanent home.

As Mary knows but failed to mention, we are in the process of purchasing the Port Orchard Nursery with private foundation grants.

This will save us thousands in rent each month and will enable us to grow our own food for the food bank year-round.

We intend to create an empowering, self-serve food bank for our clients that will result in more choice, less food waste, better nutrition and vast educational opportunities.

It also offers our agency a much more solvent business model that will sustain us better fiscally through year-round community classes, on-site nursery produce and gift shop sales and off-site farmers market sales.

These improvements to our cost model will enable our agency to do more with the food and financial support we receive from the community.

Finally, a heartfelt thanks goes out to all who improve the lives of those in need.

Whether you donate to South Kitsap Helpline, Kitsap Community Resources, St. Vincent de Paul or the charity of your choice, your support is appreciated.

From all of us at Helpline, and more importantly, from the 14,000 local families who benefit from our services: we are sincerely grateful.

Please check out our website at www.skhelpline.org for updates on Helpline’s Port Orchard Nursery purchase.

Thank you again for your support.

Jennifer Hardison is executive director of the South Kitsap Helpline.