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River Valley tells council its food pantry served roughly 1,400 households in 2026 so far
Summary
River Valley’s executive director told council the nonprofit distributes about $500,000 worth of food annually (with a $100,000 purchase budget), runs a mobile pantry, a Monday-night volunteer clinic and a housing portfolio approaching 57 units; she asked to be included in city campus planning and for support for pantry expansion.
Kayla Benger, executive director of River Valley, presented the nonprofit’s program metrics and an overview of operations, saying the organization serves the Upper Valley in food, housing, wellness, economic security and low-cost thrift operations. She reported the food program supports roughly 3,300 individuals in the service area and that River Valley has "already seen about 1,400 households this year," a level that could exceed 2025 totals.
Benger described a mixed funding and supply model: about $100,000 a year in direct food purchases, grocery-rescue pickups from Safeway and other retailers, and partnerships with the Community Action Council for government food programs. She noted thrift-store gross sales of roughly $500,000 annually that net about $200,000 to support the pantry, and described housing work including a portfolio approaching 57 units (37 supported by city assistance over the past four years). River Valley asked the council to include the organization in campus-space planning and signaled a strategic planning process beginning in 2027 to set service and housing targets.
Council members pressed on sustainability of homeownership-versus-rental models and staffing costs; Benger described rental revenue and diversified portfolio management as part of the organization’s path to sustainability. No formal city funding decision was made at the meeting; the organization’s requests were recorded for staff follow-up.
