BARABOO, Wis. — A Sauk County nonprofit that always steps up for the community now needs some help of its own to stay open.

Beyond Blessed Food Pantry in Baraboo has about a month to find a new location, or face closing. The group’s lease is up at the end of January, and it’s not up for renewal.

Once a week, volunteers at the pantry fill up boxes with dry goods and fresh food. Then they bring them out to a long line of cars waiting outside.

Terry Ingram is one of the people who relies on this drive-through donation every week.

“Times are so tough right now,” he said. “This is the last place I ever thought I’d end up being.”

He’s not alone. Executive Director Shannon Howley said the need keeps growing in and around Baraboo, which is a more rural area that doesn’t have as many options for help.

Howley estimated that Beyond Blessed serves about 750 households each week.

“This is the highest it’s been,” Howley said. “For Thanksgiving, we served 1,084 households, which is a new record.”

That’s why she and her team are working hard to find a new place to work out of.

“We are looking everywhere, and we’re doing everything in our power to stay open,” Howley said. “If it’s an empty building, we’ve asked about it. If it’s a building that’s for rent or sale, we’ve asked about it.”

Howley said they need about 5,000 square feet to store all the food, personal hygiene donations and equipment.

“The reality is we serve a lot of communities,” Howley said. “So, there’s a lot of people that are very worried that if we have to close, what are they going do? I’m not going to lie, I’m a little concerned about that, too.”

Ingram is among the hundreds praying they find a solution.

“I hope they can find a place to go so that she can keep this going to help the people,” he said.