Published: November 18, 2008 07:56 am      

God’s Outreach food bank plans expansion

$300,000 grant could help fund project

Madison Fiscal Court agreed earlier this month to help obtain a grant that will assist in the construction costs of a new God’s Outreach food pantry location.

The Community Development Block Grant, if obtained, could present up to $300,000 in funding for the project.

The new 7,000-square-foot building has a proposed location on E. Main Street, and will be much more efficient when it comes to meeting the demand seen by those with God’s Outreach, said Bryan Kirby, Richmond, president of Community and Economic Development Associates, a locally based professional grant-writing firm.

“The need has become even more dramatic in the last six months, with families trying to balance between buying food, gasoline and other necessities,” Kirby said. “We’re actually seeing the number of folks coming out to God’s Outreach because of this factor. At the end of the month or at the middle of the month, folks are out of money.

The proposed facility, that has yet to be approved by the county planning commission, also will have more space for parking, Kirby said.

The current location, at 210 Geri Lane, is 1,200 square feet and is used to serve about 5,000 pounds of food each month, which feeds about 1,000 families a month.

“Every morning, people are standing outside the door and lined up down the sidewalk,” said Anthony Lowery, president of God’s Outreach. “According to the last government census that I saw, there were about 75,000 people in Madison County, and I think that 11,000 of those people fall under poverty level. We actually have more people at the poverty level (in Madison County) than some counties have in population. That’s the reason the need is so great here.”

In 2007, God’s Outreach distributed 10,954 food baskets to families that had a retail value of $817,000, Lowery said.

“It’s amazing how many people who need that,” said Magistrate Larry Combs. “I think it would be very beneficial to the people of Madison County.”

The new building has been in the planning stages for about one year, Kirby said.

“We hope to put together a facility that can address the current and future needs of the folks in Madison County because right now, the facility they’re in is just way too small,” he said.

Aside from funding needed to construct the building, much of the building’s accessories will come from those willing to donate.

“It’s going to be a true community project,” said Magistrate Bill Tudor.

Donations usually come from individuals, churches, local non-profit organizations and fundraising, Lowery said.

Food donations can be mailed to: God’s Outreach, P.O. Box 1226, Richmond, KY 40476.

Call the food pantry at 623-2220 for more information about volunteering or donating food.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.