New Changes To The MSP

The Food Pantry Network of Licking County has gone through some big changes over the last 6 months. The FPNLC board decided last October to make some fundamental changes to how the pantries will help our customers going forward.

The changes that have been made are on the leading edge of what food banking is currently doing. This change started at the FPNLC’S location on January 8th at 1025 Brice Street with turning the Produce Market into a Market Style experience offering shelf stable items, meat, and dairy. With their partnership with Licking Memorial Hospital the second FPN Market at 131 McMillen Drive opened the first week of May. These locations offer extended hours for families who are working, ride the bus line for transportation, or who may not be able to attend their neighborhood pantry at the time they are open.

In addition to these 2 locations, on July 1, all the pantries within Licking County have now made the transition (Including the Market Street Pantry) and will now be open for families to come in when they need food.  The FPNLC has removed the territory/jurisdictions by neighborhoods, allowing families to stop in after work or appointments if they are in the area of a pantry not in their set neighborhood. Customers can visit the MSP once a week instead of just once a month. They can also shop at other pantries in the same week.  

The Market Street Pantry has been operating since COVID as a pick-up market. Food items were boxed and bagged up and taken out to customers. No customers were able to come inside to shop. In early June, we closed for a week and volunteers remodeled, reset, moved fixtures, freezers/ refrigerators and did a major clean up. We reopened on June 19 and began to let customers come in and shop.

I must say, it is going great. Customers can come in, shop by themselves, and receive assistance if needed. Our customers are thrilled, and this is a more dignified way for them to shop.

There are limits on each of the items and a picture with a finger representing 1, 2 or 3 are posted above each item. They have 10-12 different items to choose from along with dairy, eggs, meat and produce. The Market Street Pantry continues to purchase sugar and jelly from Aldi Grocery because these items are not provided by the FPNLC.  

We will still accept and appreciate any food items, personal hygiene, children’s books, pet food or produce that you would like to drop off or donate.  

The Market Street Pantry served 665 families from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Some of those families came each month and some only a handful of times. Families range from having 1 person in the household up to 12 people.

A special thank you to all the volunteers from St. Luke’s that helped with the remodel: Michael Caravana, Bill Hanes, Paul Hammond, Kim Zaborniak, Mary Tuominen, Sarah Leavell, Meg Ginther, and Chris & Jennifer Tonti.

We are still open on Wednesday and Saturday from 8:30 am – 11:30 am. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to volunteer.
 
Respectfully,
Dagny Gelormo 
Market Street Pantry
“Striving to combat food insecurity throughout Licking County”
dagswags@gmail.com