Our Search for a permanent home for the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry

It’s sometimes hard to believe that this food pantry began over 25 years ago in a closet at Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Schwenksville. At that time we were made aware of 40 – 60 families in an area ‘between the towns’ that were living 50% below the government poverty line and were experiencing food insecurity. Little did we know that the need was much greater than anyone imagined and for the next 14 years the food pantry spilled throughout the church social hall until there was simply no more room to meet the continuously growing need. In order to continue serving our families we formed an independent non-profit 501c3 in 2015 and began leasing space to operate. When leases expired and rents increased beyond our means we sought new locations. We are currently at our 3rd location leasing about 5600 square feet at 3938 Ridge Pike in Lower Providence Township. Each time we had to move we learned how difficult it is to find buildings with the size we need, ample utilities and sufficient parking. We currently have access to about 40 parking spaces and often find ourselves parking volunteers and guests in the grass. We’ve had to rent containers for storage and have maxed out the capacity for refrigerators and freezers. The reality is that while the space does not grow the number of families who need the food pantry does.

Knowing this need, we established a building fund and and are deeply grateful to all the individuals and groups who have contributed, many holding fundraisers and events to make the fund grow. The topic of a permanent building is a fixed item on our agenda and is addressed each month when the Food Pantry Board meets. We would love nothing more than to be able to identify a building in the area we serve and secure it for the mission of the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry. To meet current needs we need 10,000 square feet, 60 parking spaces and utilities to support more refrigerators, freezers and walk-in units. To this point in time we have investigated over 50 properties, some meeting the parameters and some missing the mark but still deserving consideration. We have several realtors who are vigilant at keeping an eye on the commercial market and notify us
immediately of anything that appears on the listings and deserves consideration. Ideally we’d want to be as close to the epicenter of the area we serve as possible.

That being said, we have investigated properties and buildings that push our boundaries in every direction and would be willing to move on something even on the edges if it met the Food Pantry’s needs and was affordable. Some of the difficulties we encounter include the fact that there just aren’t that many available commercial properties on the market in the area we serve. Some jurisdictions do not want non-profits within their lines. In the commercial market we find ourselves competing against individuals and companies that have deeper pockets and the ability to purchase properties before they are ever listed. We do not preclude new construction but we understand the difficulties and cost of approval processes, zoning, civil and structural engineering, site work and the impact of expenses and shortages of materials in today’s market.

We have over 700 families in our registry who need the food pantry and they mean the world to us. We will not rest until we have secured a place that meets the Food Pantry’s present needs, exhibits potential for the future and will stand forever as a place where we can forever pursue the mission to eliminate hunger in the Perkiomen area by providing food, promoting the value of nutrition, increasing self-sufficiency and instilling hope.

We ask that all who read this may continue to talk with family, friends, neighbors and coworkers about the need for a food pantry in this area and the need for more space. We’d be very grateful to anyone who could help notify us of a property that may become available or help us establish a connection that could make our dream a reality.