Food pantry to show off new home, programs

Six months ago, the Food Pantry Inc. in Port Washington moved into its new location on the city’s far west side, and since then the nonprofit group has been working to expand its offerings.

On Sunday, the pantry at 1777 W. Grand Ave. will open its doors to the community  and host a brat fry from noon to 3 p.m. to show off not just its new home but also some of the programs it has added.

“We want to show everyone what we’re about,” Steve Hansen, president of the pantry’s board of directors, said. “We’ll have stations set up around the building so people can get a feeling for what’s going on.”

The pantry continues to offer food to area people in need, but it’s done now in a more spacious store-like setting, he said.

There’s an area filled with clothing, a warehouse and other facilities.

“Our kitchen is in full-blown construction mode,” Hansen said. “It’s a work in progress, and it should be done in a matter of weeks.”

But it won’t be operational until fall, he said, noting they still need to buy equipment and supplies.

The kitchen will be a place where the pantry can offer cooking classes to its clients, he said, adding they already have two nutritionists ready to teach classes and two cooks as well.

“It’s really neat,” Hansen said.

The pantry is also preparing to grow some of its own food. Twelve raised beds have been installed on the east side of the building, and in two weeks the pantry will take delivery of soil to fill them. A fence will be added later to protect the plants from wildlife.

Like the kitchen, the garden will also be an educational tool for the pantry, Hansen said, a way to teach people how to grow their own produce.

The Food Pantry has also opened its doors to other opportunities. It has hosted two blood drives sponsored by the Port Washington Lions Club and a third is set for Thursday, June 4.

“They’ve been pretty successful so far,” Hansen said. “And they offer another opportunity to open the facility to the public.”

Two electronics recycling drives have also been scheduled at the pantry, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 13 and Sept. 19. Those attending are urged to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the pantry.

And the pantry is working with the St. Vincent de Paul Society to hold “Getting Ahead” classes this fall.

The classes, Hansen said, are intended to help people better understand their financial situation and how to improve it.

“It’s something that’s part of our long-term mission — to help people manage their finances,” he said. “We’re looking at what else we can do to help the community.

“There’s a lot going on right now. From working out of the basement at St. John XXIII Parish to where we’re at and how we’ve filled this building — this building has really helped us expand the mission. It’s something we wanted to do all along, and now we have the space.”

The space is paying off, he said. The Food Pantry had projected its client base would expand 15% when it moved into its new building, but Hansen said it’s grown 20%, to about 100 families.

Last Saturday, he added, the pantry was one family shy of tying its record for the day.

“We know those numbers will go up in June when school’s out and seasonal workers come here,” Hansen said, adding that in these economic times “we’re bracing for more.  It’s definitely a struggle out there. We’re doing all we can to prepare for it.”