The Summit Hill Heritage Center recently launched a fundraiser to raise $5,000 to paint its chapel's ceiling and put shelving in for the Summit Hill Community Food Pantry.

The heritage center was organized in 2009 as a federal nonprofit entity following the closing of St. Paul's UCC in 2007. The building itself is over 150 years old and hosts a number of events, including low-cost and no-cost education programs and free summer lunch programs for kids.The center's chapel has not been painted in 25 years and has stains on its ceiling as a result of water damage. Debra Ranck, chairwoman of the board for the Heritage Center, says the paint job will cost about $10,000. Despite this, center officials have their fundraising goal set at $5,000. "The full $10,000 would be great, but for now we're only looking for half of it. It's a gorgeous chapel. It just needs a little spiffing up," Ranck said.Along with the ceiling, the pantry, which is run from the basement of the center, is in need of shelving for its food. The Summit Hill Food Pantry gives boxes of food to an average of 130 needy families every month. The food comes from donations and is also bought by managers of the pantry.The Heritage Center's main objective is to keep the food pantry open, and any action that can help it is taken."Right now they have all of the pallets of food sitting on the floor, and there's so much wasted space on the walls above them," Ranck said. The installation of shelves is expected to cost $1,500.The fundraiser is being done through the fundraising network Schwan's Cares. Patrons can buy anything from Schwan's line of food, and 40 percent of the product purchases go to the Heritage Center through the first 60 days of the fundraiser, which ends in mid-August. After the first 60 days, the center receives 5 percent of the purchases for the remainder of the year.Ranck says that if the center has the funds, painting should begin in early spring.To donate, visit the Summit Hill Heritage Center's website at

www.summithillheritagecenter.com or the fundraiser's website at www.schwans-cares.com/f/53418.Along with fundraising, the Heritage Center will also be holding a healthy living program starting at 10 a.m. July 25 to raise money. There will be a low-cost massage therapist, a reflexology specialist, pet photos, light lunch, and a blood drive by Miller-Keystone Blood Center.