The Story

 The food pantry itself is located in several small rooms in the southwest corner of a warehouse. The current method of food distribution is for volunteers to put the baskets together in the back and bring them to the waiting room to be handed to families. If a client is disabled or a shut-in, the basket is delivered to his/her home. The warehouse is situated close to the street with only enough room for a small strip of grass and a sidewalk. There are two parking spots in front, and up to four parallel parking spots along the street, but not nearly enough for the 30-40 families per night. People end up walking long distances with their children to wait in line outside and try to keep their kids from running into traffic. In addition, this is a privacy problem (with traffic driving by) as well as a temperature problem (in the winter).

Recently the house to the east was foreclosed on, and in no condition for habitation, which opened an opportunity for us to make some much-needed changes in our current system. We purchased the house and, with the help of the City of Moorhead, will demolish it. We hope to 1.) build a parking lot to eliminate the pedestrian safety risks. At that point we plan to move the entrance of the pantry to the southeast corner (adjacent to the parking lot); 2.) make it accessible by building ramps, large doors, and bathrooms to accommodate disabled people; 3.) remodel the interior and enlarge the reception area so people can come in out of the cold; and 4.) revamp our food distribution system into a choice model that will empower people to choose their own food.

 
          In August 2005, the Board of Directors held their annual strategic planning meeting. At that time all members unanimously agreed that these changes to the food pantry were warranted and necessary in order to serve our clients in the best way possible. All agreed to be a part of the fundraising process.

            An architect, Richard Moorhead, drew up plans pro bono. The City insisted on a

  fence to separate the parking lot from the residences next door. We originally planned

  on one unisex accessible bathroom, but the codes say we need to have two. We have acquired estimates from local contractors, namely Don  

  Engebretson Construction LTD (for all the interior construction), Camrud-Foss

  Concrete Construction, Inc. (for parking lot and pantry basement), Dakota Fence

  (fence around parking lot), Northern Improvement Company (for demolition of the

  house next door), CB & Sons Electric (for all electrical), and Laney’s Plumbing and

  Heating (for all plumbing and heating). We plan to use volunteer groups for demolition  

  projects that don’t need professional expertise.

            We hope to accomplish everything by April 2007. We realize that setbacks are a  

  possibility, but April 2007 is our goal.

Impact of Activities

            In light of the current proposed federal cuts to food stamps, Medicaid, childcare,

  etc., and also in light of the increased costs of heating a home, the necessity of having

  the food pantry as a safety net for families is absolutely essential. The children are

  ultimately the ones who suffer. If we can provide healthy, well-balanced food for

  families, we are benefiting them in so many ways: parents with enough food for their   

  kids have less anxiety and stress about where their next meal is coming from, which

  trickles down to the kids having less stress; kids with full bellies are better able to pay

  attention in school and more prepared to learn, which would hopefully translate into a

  good education and career that would get them out of the cycle of poverty. Education

  is the key, and anything we can do to help with that will make a huge impact not only

  on those families but also on our community in general. In addition, we serve seniors

  and disabled people on fixed incomes who don’t have enough money to make it

  through the month. Clearly the food pantry is an essential service, and the more

  accommodating we can make it for people, the better.

            Our project intends to empower clients without discrimination. It hopes to 

  improve the lives of at-risk families and children by providing sustenance for healthier

  bodies and consequently better educations. We are helping seniors make ends meet

  so they can continue living independently. We are a safety net for low-income families,

  thus providing essential services in times of crisis. We are the front lines, we are see

  the direct effects of budget cuts, and we intend to continue doing what we can to make

  sure nobody goes hungry.