LAWRENCE — The lines of people spilling onto Holly and Daisy streets as they wait for food in the rain, snow and intense summer heat is a thing of the past.
Lazarus House has purchased the former Lebanese-American Awareness Association building on Hampshire Street and is turning it into a food pantry.
The building is big enough that people in line will be able to wait inside the building.
The money for the purchase came from the Hunger Strikers, a group of volunteers who have been running the Boston Marathon for three years and raised $240,000.
During the last Boston Marathon in April, the 22-member group raised from $3,000 to $9,000 each toward the building.
"It felt great when I crossed the finish line, knowing that I had accomplished a personal goal and raised money for the food pantry,'' said Kelly Buckley of Salem, N.H. "It really made it worthwhile.''
The two-story brick building is a dream-come-true for Ken Campbell, food coordinator for Lazarus House.
Unlike the previous Lazarus House food pantry on Holly Street, which faced the Spicket River, the new building is not located in a flood zone.
Contractors are now building shelves to store the food and installing sprinkler systems, a conveyor belt for better access to the food distribution, and an elevator for the handicapped. They are also upgrading rest rooms for the handicapped and replacing tiles on the second floor.
The new food pantry boasts a 20-by-40-foot walk-in refrigerator and freezer.
Campbell said there are many benefits in having the new building. One of them is helping the handicapped who do not come for food during the winter because of the sometimes poor road conditions.
"We're extraordinarily blessed. God expects us to work hard and assist those who need us," Campbell said. "We could never do this without the support and encouragement of our volunteers."
The building has been named St. Claire, after the late Claire Hajjar, a longtime volunteer at Lazarus House.
"It was appropriate to name the building after her because her impact on the staff and guests has been far-reaching," Campbell said.
During the renovation, Lazarus House is using St. Joseph Plains Center, across the street from its new building.
"The people like it because they are off the street and out of view," Campbell said.
Hunger Strikers was coached by Bill Pennington of Andover, cofounder of the local Feaster Five Thanksgiving road race. The runners came from Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Newburyport and the New Hampshire towns of Salem, Londonderry and Plaistow as well as Los Angeles and Lincoln, Calif.
The group met every Saturday in Andover and North Andover and ran 12 to 18 miles around both towns.
For some, like Kelly Buckley, an accountant, it was the first time participating in the 26-mile run from Hopkinton to Boston.
From the beginning, Buckley was concerned about raising the $3,000 needed to enter the race. In February, she hosted a comedy night at the Claddagh Pub and Restaurant and received $2,500 in donations.
Other runners, like Alan Carroll of Andover, had three reasons for participating in the race — he had recently lost weight, was getting in shape and wanted to run but did not qualify. But as a member of the Hunger Strikers, he was able to make it.
Carroll, 52, knows Lazarus House well. He and members of the Men's Group at the Free Christian Church in Andover, cook breakfast at the soup kitchen once a month and have donated clothing over the years.
"I knew the need in Lawrence was great, and running for a cause made it that much more special," said Carroll, a house designer.
To raise money, Carroll told friends and relatives about his weight loss and his desire to run to help the needy in Lawrence. His donations ranged from $50 to $500.
While training for the marathon, he could identify with the people who stand in line, despite poor weather conditions, to get food. And on the day of the race, the weather started off cool, got a little warm, and then became chilly again.
"I was grateful to be able to do it,'' Carroll said. "It was absolutely fantastic.''
