September 8, 2014 at 1:56 p.m.
Rhinelander Area Food Pantry preps for move to new location
Rhinelander Area Food Pantry preps for move to new location
By Kayla Thomason-
RAFP worked with Nicolet College's marketing and management class last spring to determine the layout of building and the pantry's planning committee helped put the floor plan together.
Work that is still pending includes putting in an access door on the north side of the building. The group also plans to add insulation, a new vinyl roof, roof supports and a porch roof over the entrance.
On the inside of the building volunteers will add a wall to separate the storage area from the distribution area, rearrange what was an office area for produce handling, create a sitting area and install coolers and freezers.
One of the building's four bathrooms will be converted into a produce handling area.
"We'll keep the plumbing so we can have a sink back there, we'll move our stainless steel sink over there so it can be used for the produce handling," said Guy Hansen, executive director of the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry.
Some painting and cleaning has already been done.
"I'm very happy about [the new place], we really need the space," said Jane Motowski, general manager of the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry. "Our customers are very cramped in the space [at Nativity]."
The new location also has a larger parking lot than the one at the pantry's current location, the Nativity of Our Lord Parish thrift store.
Officials hope to have the new pantry operational by the beginning of October.
One thing about the former Golden Harvest building food pantry officials are excited about is that everything will be on the same floor, allowing them to move goods on pallets with pallet jacks.
They can also organize the shelves better, bring in more food and have more space for customers to move around.
The layout will be similar to the existing pantry at Nativity, according to Motowski.
"All along the wall will be the shelving for the canned goods and then around the corners (we'll) have the bread and the produce and then it will be freezer and refrigerator section before they leave," Motowski said.
There will be space for pallets of food and a floor scale, as well as room for two shopping carts side-by-side.
"Everybody is very excited about moving in to this new space, it's going to be very, very nice, much less crowded than where we are," Hansen said.
Fresh produce will be available to customers year round.
"We have an agreement with Walmart where we get produce and other goods from Walmart through Feeding America," Hansen said.
During the summer the food pantry's Community Garden brings in additional fresh fruits and vegetables.
The morning of distribution volunteers pick the produce at the Community Garden, which was founded in February 2006. Each year it yields 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of produce depending on what is grown.
Founded in April 2005, the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry averaged 500 to 700 customers a month over the summer of 2014, Motowski said.
"We normally average around 20 coming in new every month," she said. "January and February it was higher and in May and June it was a little lower."
As of the second week of August, the pantry has distributed 323,000 pounds of food in 2014.
In June and July the pantry handed out 89,608 pounds of food.
"It's higher and that's because we have been doing the pick up from Feeding America at Walmart," Motowski said.
This is the second year the pantry has participated in Feeding America through Walmart.
Officials said Kwik Trip will be participating in the program as well.
There is a lot to be done before the new and improved pantry opens its doors to customers and volunteers are welcome to help.
People will be needed to clean various parts of the building, seal the floors, build doorways and move everything.
Anyone interested in volunteering to help with construction or the moving process can call Motowski at (715) 369-7237. Volunteers are asked to leave their name, number and email address.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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