The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved a $50,000 agreement to support the construction of the new North Liberty Community Pantry at 250 W Penn St.

The agreement met unanimous board approval at the Thursday formal session meeting. 

The approval is in response to a presentation proposing the new facility at the July 10, 2024, work session meeting.

Ryan Bobst, the pantry’s executive director, outlined the $4 million project, which began construction last fall and is set for completion later this year. The project is funded through donations and local contributions. 

Bobst highlighted the dramatic surge in demand since 2021, including a 593 percent increase in grocery deliveries for families who cannot physically shop at a store, a 98 percent rise in pantry visits, and a 103 percent increase in food distributed to clients.

He stated that the current 2,300-square-foot facility was no longer sufficient, forcing the pantry to rely on outside storage for food. The proposed new 10,500-square-foot building will allow for on-site food storage, expanded clothing distribution, and a community garden to provide fresh produce.

Bobst emphasized that in 2024, 82 percent of the families the pantry served relied on the pantry as their primary food source, making the expansion essential.

RELATED: North Liberty Community Pantry moves forward with new $4 million facility

The pantry requested a $100,000 county contribution in exchange for an outreach office for Johnson County Social Services staff. The approved contract pulls $50,000 from the fiscal 2025 Poverty Initiative budget for construction. 

In return, Johnson County Social Services staff will have access to an outreach office in the new pantry at least twice a month for the next 10 years. 

The current 2,300 square-foot facility, at 89 N. Jones Blvd. includes a shopping area and increasingly limited storage space, which has caused food and clothing to be stored in separate buildings. The pantry also has had to rely on community partners like Fareway and Field Day Brewing for freezer storage.

In 2023 alone, the pantry distributed 588,000 pounds of food. 

Bobst told The Daily Iowan in August the creation of the new facility and the amount of food distribution they’ve done could not have happened without the support of the community. 

“I am just so grateful for the community support, both for the campaign and for our mission,” Bobst said. “We could not distribute the volume of items we’re distributing to our neighbors without the community support.”