The North Liberty Community Pantry will break ground on a new 10,500-square-foot facility at 350 W. Penn St. in North Liberty on Oct. 1 at 4:30 p.m., inviting the community to celebrate the milestone.
“We (the Pantry Board) are so excited to reach this step in the process and we are grateful for the support we have received from the community. We have discussed this project for quite some time and it is great to see it become a reality!” said Allison Bates, pantry board member and co-chair of the Planting New Roots capital campaign.
Amid rising food costs—up 28% since 2019—and cuts to food assistance programs, food insecurity has surged, leaving more families in need. The North Liberty Community Pantry (NLCP) has responded to the growing demand, serving 70% more families, distributing 103% more food, and handing out 454% more clothing over the past two years, according to a release.
“Serving nearly 3,000 neighbors in less than 2,800 square feet has been impossible at times. To procure enough food to distribute, we have had to rely on local partners like Fareway and Field Day Brewing Company to temporarily store frozen meat until we have room to distribute it,” said Ryan Bobst, executive director of NLCP.
“This new facility will be nearly four times as large, bring food and clothing under one roof, move us closer to many of the families we serve, create a private space to better serve families with needs beyond food and clothing, and allow for adequate storage capacity to meet the needs of our neighbors today and into the future,” he continued.
The North Liberty Community Pantry’s “Planting New Roots” capital campaign is in full swing, with a goal to raise $4 million for a new facility. Early backers include the City of North Liberty, Dan Bernacki, Corda Credit Union, GreenState Credit Union, Dave and Rita Roberts, and South Slope Cooperative Communications, among others. The campaign remains ongoing. For more information, visit: https://www.nlcpantry.org/campaign.
NLCP expects the new facility to open to the community during the summer of 2025.
About NLCP: The North Liberty Community Pantry (NLCP) supports the community by providing food, clothing, and essential resources to those in need. This entirely free service is available to anyone in North Liberty and rural Johnson County seeking assistance with food, clothing, and toiletries. In 2023 alone, NLCP distributed 588,386 pounds of food and 37,719 clothing items to 930 families across North Liberty, Tiffin, Oxford, Solon, Swisher, Shueyville, Lone Tree, and Hills.
