GRANTS, N.M. – The Grants Community Pantry is preparing to move thanks in part to a $1.8 million dollar State of New Mexico grant. “The 71-year-old building wasn’t cutting it,” Alice Perez said. Perez is the Executive Director of the Community Pantry and Hope Garden in Gallup, NM as well as The Grants Community Pantry. “Three to four years ago I started eyeing buildings,” Perez said. In collaboration with the City of Grants, she located and purchased the new building located at 916 Sakelares Boulevard.
The new Sakelares site at 7500 square feet will more than double the current Grants Community Pantry’s 3500 square foot Stephens Avenue location. The new building and the adjoining 1.5 acres of land will belong to the City of Grants. “We’re creating a community garden, so that people can actually grow some of the food they come to get,” Perez said. The plan for the community garden includes raised beds that will allow the pantry to grow its own produce. Anybody can volunteer to work at the garden as well as the pantry. To generate income, the community garden will also rent raised beds for about $75 to cover the entire growing season (approximately seven months). According to Perez, anybody can volunteer. “Volunteering at the Pantry is great for high school students who want to add community service to their college applications.”
Currently, the Grants Community Pantry serves 650-800 families two times per month (a family can pick up a food bin twice a month). Rising food costs and food supply chain problems have left approximately 34 million (including nine million children) Americans hungry, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Living with less food can create health issues when choosing between medicine and food. Hungry children cannot learn as well as wellnourished children, and kids need nutrients to grow, according to Feeding America, the largest charity dedicated to ending hunger in America.
The pantry’s move to its new site as well as the development of the community garden will take approximately one year. Executive Director Perez said they will be able to add one more staff person to the existing two part-timers they currently employ. Currently, the Grants Community Pantry at 222 East Stephens Avenue is open Tuesday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registrations can happen over the phone at 505287-5090. Anyone interested in making an impact in the community is encouraged to volunteer.