Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Food Assistance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Hope pantry reports steady demand after Junction pantry closure, asks city for $8,000 to meet increased need
Summary
New Hope Food Pantry presented monthly service statistics showing continued high demand and said the March closure of the Junction City pantry reduced available local food sources; the pantry asked the city for $8,000 to expand supplies and noted it is volunteer‑run with no paid staff.
Victoria Timberlake, director of New Hope Food Pantry, presented the pantry’s 2024 monthly statistics and described client trends through early 2025. She explained that New Hope counts new household clients as those who have not visited in five years, and that monthly households served and individual counts show ongoing demand. Timberlake reported that after a Junction City pantry closed, New Hope’s clients did not materially increase in number but the per‑household need rose because some families previously split purchases across locations.
Timberlake said the pantry’s rent is $800 per month and that the pantry currently operates with volunteer labor and no paid staff. She described an existing vacant lot the pantry owns near the Aldi/Advanced Auto area and said the pantry still plans construction on that site when funding and timing permit; the last cost estimate for building on the lot was about $175,000. She noted the pantry’s electric bill is high because the current building was originally a garage with single‑pane windows and said the pantry is looking for a new building or other improvements.
The presenter said New Hope still owns the lot behind Advanced Auto and is paying to mow it while seeking funding for a permanent site and a refrigerated box truck pledged by the county when a building is constructed. Timberlake asked the commission to consider an $8,000 contribution to help eliminate hunger among Danville/Boyle County households and said the pantry does not pay staff salaries so city dollars go directly to food.
Why it matters: The pantry is a primary food source for many households; closure of neighboring pantry services increases pressure on New Hope to expand food inventories or develop a new facility, according to the director.
