Wyffels Hybrids donates $50000 to food pantry building campaign - Geneseo Republic

Wyffels Hybrids donates $50000 to food pantry building campaign - Geneseo Republic

Wyffels Hybrids has kickstarted the Geneseo Food Pantry’s building fund campaign with a $50,000 donation.

Lisa Depies

Wyffels Hybrids has kickstarted the Geneseo Food Pantry’s building fund campaign with a $50,000 donation.

“As a member of the Atkinson and Geneseo communities, we know the work the food pantry does is very important. We’re thrilled to be able to contribute,” said Bill Wyffels, of Wyffels Hybrids.

The Geneseo Food Pantry has served the Geneseo and Atkinson communities since the mid-1980s.

The current Geneseo Food Pantry location at 217 N. Russell was built in the early 1900s and is no an ideal site for the food pantry’s needs.

Earlier in the summer, the Geneseo Ministerial Association, which oversees the food pantry, purchased property including a former convenience store at 550 Dilenbeck Drive.

The land is just shy of an acre and features a brick structure, built in 1986. A 6,850 square-foot addition will be added to the existing convenience store structure.

The new structure will be handicap accessible and entirely on a single level.

A special breakfast in September launched the food pantry’s building fund campaign.

Organizers hope to raise $1 million in order to move forward with construction plans in early 2017.

Contributions to the building campaign may be mailed to the Geneseo Food Pantry at P.O. Box 324, Geneseo, IL 61254, with “building fund” in the memo line.