MISHAWAKA — Three of four jobs at The Bridge, a food pantry that serves about 2,300 clients per month, will be cut as of Aug. 22.

The food pantry will remain open but the cafe there will be closed.

Penn Township Trustee Jeff Dean said the township will continue to pay the salary for the executive director, Merri DeWinter.

Dean and Aaron DeWinter, director of development at The Bridge, said Aaron DeWinter’s job and two part-time positions will be cut.

Dean said the move will save the township about $15,000 this year. The cuts were needed, he said, in order to balance the budget, which has been negatively affected by property tax changes contained in House Enrolled Act 1001.

Merri DeWinter, executive director of The Bridge, said Dean told her the township board wants to sell the building at 315 Lincoln Way West that houses the food pantry, free store and cafe.

Dean said if somebody wanted to buy the building, he would sell it. "But there is no discussion going on now," he said.

The building, which was bought by Penn Township to serve as a teen center, is old and the overhead is high, Dean said.

Aaron Dewinter said The Bridge also offers budget counseling and life coaching classes.

The Bridge serves people in Mishawaka, Osceola and Granger.

Aaron DeWinter said the organization does have volunteers, but it will be difficult for them to do the intake work needed. He said The Bridge board of directors operates the not-for-profit organization while the township provides the building and pays the salaries.

Merri DeWinter said she is concerned about how she will continue to serve clients.

"What are these people going to do?" she asked, adding the center is now getting more clients, not fewer.