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Youth leadership council wins approval to install community food pantry box at JC Park
Summary
The Jasper Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council secured council approval to install a small community food pantry box at JC Park. The $252 project has $100 pledged and local groups have volunteered to stock and maintain the box; installation is planned for spring after concrete work.
Members of the Jasper Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council presented and won approval to install a community food pantry box at JC Park during the council’s regular meeting.
"We are here to seek approval to build a food pantry in JC Park," said Zoe Ber, the youth council treasurer, who presented the project along with three fellow student council members. The students told council members the kit-style box will be set on a donated post, sealed with waterproof coating and positioned to face the parking lot for drive‑by access.
The students said the total cost is $251.88, of which a $100 donation from Wabash Valley Produce has already been received; they expect to raise the remaining funds from other local businesses. They named Community 2 as a partner that will help stock the boxes and a Korean technical student organization to assist with maintenance and repairs.
Councilors asked about maintenance frequency and food safety in hot weather; the students and staff said community partners will restock and monitor use, and staff agreed to follow up with the named partner groups for a written check‑in on the box’s status. The students also noted the design is the same model used at other approved community sites and that installation would include setting the concrete and sealing the box.
Council members expressed support for the project, noting the low cost and the project’s potential to reduce food insecurity among children and adults. A motion to approve the project was made and adopted by voice vote.
The youth council said it plans to build the boxes in the spring once the ground thaws and to use a local basement space for assembly. The students asked the public to follow their updates on the city’s Facebook page for construction dates.
What happens next: staff will record the approved location on city property, confirm that the placement avoids non‑city parcels, and follow up with the student group and the named community partners on maintenance and monitoring plans.
