Jefferson County’s first choice food pantry opens Tuesday
The Giving Cupboard is the first choice food pantry in Jefferson County, which means clients get to choose their own food when they come in.
“We’re really excited to be able to provide these things for families in need here in Jefferson County. We do occasionally get someone from outside Jefferson County and that is fine. We’re here to serve hungry people,” said the Giving Cupboard president Naomi Schilling.
The non-profit organization was created two years ago and had been operating out of the basement of the Rigby City Library.
A location that wasn’t ideal for the majority of their clients who are seniors and people with physical disabilities.
“Sometimes it made it very difficult to get the food out of the basement, as well as for our volunteers who had to get the food into the basement. The in and out process was very difficult,” Schilling said.
Today, the organization who has around 50 volunteers from all over the county is stocking the shelves of their new ground-level location, prepping for Tuesday’s grand opening.
Their partner Jefferson County Pay It Forward also has an office at their new location where they will be able to provide the non-food essential items.
The dream come true location was made possible by a generous landlord who agreed to lease the space at an affordable price.
“We found a gentleman who really believed in us and believed in our program, and he wanted to help us, he customized this space for us and allowed us to design a floor plan that would be the most functional for our clients and for our volunteers,” Schilling said.
When clients come into the giving cupboard they’ll be able to select their own food items from not only canned and boxed food but also fresh and frozen produce. At the new location, the organization is able to partner with the Idaho Food Bank and order truckloads of food with their new space to store it.
“It’s so exciting for us. We’re excited for our clients, and now we’re looking forward to the future because there’s so much more that we can do,” Schilling said.
