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North Liberty Community Pantry reports record 2025 demand, says $600,000 remains to cover new facility
Summary
The pantry told council it served a record 4,446 unique individuals in 2025, distributed more than 918,000 pounds of food and 64,000 clothing items, and has raised over $3 million for a new 10,500 ft facility but still needs about $600,000 to finish funding the building.
"We did serve a record 4,446 individuals," Ryan Boes, executive director of the North Liberty Community Pantry, told the council on Feb. 24, summarizing the pantry's 2025 outcomes and thanking the city for ARPA support.
Boes said the pantry served 4,446 unique individuals in 2025, 71% of them North Liberty residents, and recorded about 25,000 visits. After moving into a new 10,500-square-foot facility in July 2025, the pantry reported a 41% increase in people served and a 64% increase in food distributed. Boes said the pantry distributed roughly 918,219 pounds of food in 2025 and more than 64,000 clothing items.
"We only have about $600,000 to go before we've got the building completely covered," Boes said, noting the pantry has raised more than $3 million so far and credited ARPA funding and community volunteers. He said volunteers logged more than 17,500 hours in 2025 and the pantry now averages 86 unique shoppers per 2½-hour shift.
Boes described program improvements tied to the new facility: an in-house clothing pantry, private meeting rooms for on-site partner services (Johnson County Social Service Navigators, Johnson County Public Health), and a grocery-style shopping model that preserves shopper choice and dignity. He said the move also reduced average visit time from about 71 minutes to about 42 minutes.
Boes invited council and residents to support the remaining capital campaign and provided a donation and volunteer page at nlcpantry.org. Council members thanked Boes and asked for the donation link for public distribution.
The council took no formal funding action at the meeting; Boes said staff are available for questions and follow-up regarding remaining capital needs.
