When a visit to Storehouse Ministries puts a little zest into the lives of recipients, it is mission accomplished for the volunteers. On the first Monday after the holidays, Storehouse director Penny Edyvean brightened the day of a woman who borrowed a wheelchair from the medical equipment lendin g closet. “Today was the first day she had been out,” Edyvean said. “She was delighted.” After a busy morning helping dozens of people, Edyvean was upbeat about the ministries and their work of filling temporary gaps in needs. For instance, the found a coat and socks for the woman who had only come in for a wheelchair. “It sounded like she had lived through multiple health conditions and was in good spirits,” Edyvean said.  “There was a lot of need and a lot of gratitude.”Wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, bathroom seats, the lending closet is a resource for various kinds of medical equipment. “Use it as long as you need it,” Edyvean said. In addition to the lending program, Storehouse Ministries, an outreach of the Woodland Park Community Church and Pastor Kirk Greenstreet, offers temporary financial assistance for utilities, rent or gas, for instance. “For many people a car is so important; it’s hard to do much in this county without a car,” Edyvean said. In times of crisis, the ministries provide emergency shelter and firewood. After the Hayman and Waldo Canyon fires, Storehouse helped residents replace various household items, including furniture.    For Teller County residents working toward sustainability, Storehouse can provide transitional housing in the Clock Tower condominiums, a two-bedroom and a three-bedroom. “In general, they are for single parents and their children,” Edyvean said. “The program is based on your income. But the concept is for us to help people financially, spiritually and physically, to help them get on their feet and give them a nest egg.” To strengthen the outreach and enhance possibilities, Storehouse offers up to five counseling sessions with Daniel Lebsack, LPC, whose office is on the lower level of the building on Valley View Drive. “And you can’t leave here without a prayer,” she said. Founded in April 2009 in a trailer on church property by members of the church that included Jackson Peters, Dick Carpenter, former pastor Jeff Townsend and associate pastor Bruce Caldwell, Storehouse was a makeshift operation. “We would pass three cellphones around,” she said, adding that the volunteers provided food, clothing and help with utilities. Edyvean has led the outreach for nine years, replacing Peters who served as ministry leader.  “Most clients just need a one-time infusion of help,” she said. “It makes you feel good to help them,” she said. With rents and grocery prices high and the job market tough in Teller County, Edyvean said that needs have increased over the past year, exacerbated by the government shutdown in December. “I wish the need wasn’t so great,” she said. IF YOU GO Storehouse Ministries at 700 Valley View Dr., Suite D, in Woodland Park, is open from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday and added Wednesday evenings, from 5 to 7 p.m., beginning Feb. 4 ...read more read less