Milton Community Food Pantry cuts ribbon on new warehouse

A longtime dream for Milton Community Food Pantry finally became reality Oct. 11, with the opening of a new warehouse and refrigerator space at the pantry’s facility on Union Street Extended.

“Sustainability is always a concern for nonprofits, and the pantry is no different,” said President Donna Murawski. “At the pantry, there was little to no storage. Rescued food was often lost due to lack of refrigeration. A tremendous amount of time and work effort was required to set up and break down distributions each month. Consider all of these factors along with a 50% increase in families served in 2023. The need for a property of our own with a building dedicated to the storage, packing and distribution of food was crucial.”

The new 1,500-square-foot building will handle the pantry’s food storage and preparation. Murawski said it will also cut down on waiting times, increase efficiency and expand the pantry’s food rescue program. The project was estimated to cost about $375,000. The pantry has existed since 2014 at three different locations, starting at the former Goshen Hall on Federal Street before moving to Water’s Edge church on Route 16. It was always the goal of the pantry to have its own space, and that came true in October 2022 when the pantry purchased a 1,000-square-foot home on Union Street Extended that would become the base of operations for both distribution and storage. Ground was broken on the warehouse in March, with construction lasting for a little more than four months. 

In addition to its own capital campaign, financial support for the pantry came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development program. 

Former U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, now serving as an advisor to the USDA, said the department provided $200,000 in funding for the planning and building of the new warehouse. She said the Biden/Harris administration has made investment in rural communities a top issue, with funding coming through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. 

“I can already see that the work that you’ve done is reaping benefits,” Axne said to pantry leaders. 

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper said the work of the pantry is important to not only help people in need, but also to help people in need take the next step to becoming self-sustaining. 

Rep. Stell Parker Selby, D-Milton, said, “Those that can help, help those who need it. That is how I view the Milton food bank. We’ve never seen, in my lifetime, people in need of food and homes in this area. The foresight of the Milton food bank leaders has caused this wonderful building to be available in a larger capacity for the needs of our community.”

Murawski said, “Construction of this safe, modern, all-inclusive facility was needed to help us better serve our families at a time when this need was growing substantially.”