While the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt on many plans, including the Portage Township Food Pantry ribbon cutting, it didn’t stop the pantry from serving its community.
After losing its home at the Portage alternative school when the building was sold, the pantry spent some time at Presbyterian church in Portage before finding its permanent home with the Portage Township Trustee's Office.
“We were in the process of working with the county at the time to build our new offices when we heard about the pantry needing a place, and we thought it was a no-brainer to just add on and give the food pantry a permanent home,” Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy said.
The pantry now resides in the Portage North Country Annex, right next door to the trustee’s office.
“A great thing is the trustee is right next door. When clients come in, they have to get certified, they have to get registered. So when they come in for the first time, we are able to send them right next door to get started, it's like a one-stop-shop,” said Portage Township Food Pantry Director Bobbie DeKemper.
The pantry’s grand opening was scheduled to happen in March of 2020 on the same day COVID-19 shut down the state. Fortunately for the Portage community, the pantry adapted quickly and offered grab and go until August 2021.
“It's pretty exciting. I think the neatest aspect of it all is the fact that it was done and opened right when COVID hit,” DeKemper said. “The food pantry was better prepared to take more in, to serve more people, to have the ability to take more frozen food.”
During the pandemic, the trustee’s office stepped in to help, even volunteering time when it wasn’t safe for the original volunteer crew of senior citizens to leave their homes.
“I think having this space means everything to someone who is hungry. It gives us the ability to help them, more specifically help the food pantry help them,” Clancy said. “We are one of the most blessed townships in all of northern Indiana because of what they have done, so we’re lucky to be able to give them a roof.”
The new space includes a kitchen, a storage area, and several refrigerators/freezers including a walk-in. The walls are decorated with murals done by Portage High School students. These amenities help the food pantry to better serve the community.
“We know what kind of room we have; we can order in advance without worrying where we will be. This is really, really nice,” DeKemper said.
The pantry is entirely run by volunteers who have a passion for helping others. The pantry itself is stocked by donations, both financial and physical items, that are donated by local organizations, businesses, and community members.
“We've got about 20 volunteers, and they each play such a big part. That’s why it moves so smoothly. They are so dedicated, they take ownership of their part,” DeKemper said.
To learn more about the Portage Township Food Pantry or how to donate, visit its Facebook page.