By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Junction City Commissioners have received a request for $100,ooo and a waiver of building permit fees totaling about $2,000 for a a proposed new Food Pantry building.
The demand for food is increasing in the community. A total of 1,351 people received from the Food Pantry in September, up from 880 last April. Food insecurity is a problem in the community caused by such challenges as reduction in SNAP benefits, inflation and food prices.
The Food Pantry has acquired property at 7th & Clay for the new facility. The estimate on construction of the 48 x 80 foot building covering 5,840 square feet has been calculated at $500,000. It will include in addition to storage space a kitchen for cooking classes, adjacent parking and hopefully an outside community garden. The current facility consists of about 3,840 square feet.
Commissioners were informed that the funding request would be a one time ask. Mayor Pat Landes told Food Pantry representatives, "what you do every day is extremely important." The City will take the request under consideration.
Right now 14.1% of the community is food insecure and 31%of the food distribution goes to children.