Preparations are in full swing for the Nantucket Food Pantry as it plans to move to a new location in April. This new space, tentatively called the Nantucket Food Hub, will bring together various organizations focused on food security.
The Food Hub will feature the pantry, a kitchen for preparing meals, and facilities for processing donated venison. Already, 500 pounds of venison have been distributed, thanks to a deer-processing facility managed by the Nantucket Land Bank.
Brooke Mohr, the board president of Nourish Nantucket, expressed her excitement for the new location. “We’re thrilled that it’s coming to fruition for the community. It’s amazing,” she said.
Last year, the Nantucket Land Bank and Nourish Nantucket purchased the Boynton Lane building for $6.5 million. Renovations for the pantry’s first floor are set to begin soon. These upgrades include new flooring, custom walls, updated refrigeration, and shelving. “It’s mostly interior renovations to bring the space up to health code,” Mohr added.
The new facility will offer more square footage and parking than the old pantry location. Its central location near elementary and intermediate schools, as well as a bus stop, makes it very accessible. “It’s a really great, central location,” Mohr noted.
In addition to the pantry, Nourish Nantucket and the Nantucket Interfaith Council will have offices there. The organizations are also looking to ramp up food rescue efforts, which focus on repurposing surplus food from local restaurants and markets.
Statistics reinforce the importance of such initiatives. According to the USDA, approximately 30-40% of food in the United States is wasted. Efforts like food rescue not only help in feeding those in need but also contribute to reducing this waste, benefitting the environment.
As the Nantucket Food Pantry prepares for this move, the ripple effect of community support and collaboration could turn the Nantucket Food Hub into a vital resource for the local population.
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