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Blackford County agrees to help cover short-term costs for community food pantry
Summary
Commissioners authorized temporary county support to cover building administrative costs for a community-run food pantry through the holiday period after local partners requested roughly two months of assistance.
The Board of Commissioners of Blackford County agreed Oct. 20 to provide short-term financial support to a locally run food pantry while partners develop a longer-term solution.
During the commissioners’ meeting, a representative of local partners (identified in the record as S5) described plans to open a temporary food pantry at a rented facility and asked the county to help cover administrative costs including utilities and minimal staffing for roughly two months. “I think it’s gonna be about $3,500 a month,” S5 said when presenting the estimate for the county’s share.
The presenter said volunteers and local pastors would operate the pantry, and that donated funds would be used to buy food from Second Harvest. Commissioners signaled support for partnering with the city and council on the request; a motion to provide county support was moved and seconded and recorded as carried.
The pantry is intended to operate for a limited period (the presenter said through Christmas) while stakeholders pursue a permanent solution and coordinate volunteer staffing. Commissioners and staff asked to be kept updated on donations, volunteer arrangements and whether the county’s portion could be reduced if other contributions arrive.
The action was procedural and short-term: the county authorized support for the local portion of the facility’s overhead costs and directed staff to monitor progress and report back at future meetings.
