Organizers say the food pantry is needed to help feed hungry families in northern Kandiyohi County after the Willmar Area Food Shelf closed its New London satellite food shelf in August that "left a hole" in local resources.
"We kept seeing families coming through our doors," said Rhonda Otteson, director of The Link. "They were walking in hungry."
When it closed the New London food shelf — as well as its branch site at Ridgewater College — a board member for the Willmar Area Food Shelf said the closures were made to decrease costs and increase efficiency by operating from one location in Willmar.
Although people from New London and Spicer can still obtain food from the Willmar food shelf, Otteson said a lack of transportation can make it difficult for people to drive to Willmar, leaving families hungry.
"Imagine living your life without transportation," she said. "We're seeing families really struggling."
To fill that gap The Link, which is a mission-based outreach organization in the New London and Spicer communities, set a goal to raise $25,000 by the end of the month to launch the food pantry.
They hope to start distributing food by the end of January.
So far, about $6,000 has been raised, and The Link has a freezer and refrigerator, plus a growing stack of food.
"The community has responded quite well," Otteson said. "We're really positive the community will come through."
Students in the New London-Spicer School District donated food for the pantry and food was collected at the boys basketball game Thursday in a "hoops for hunger" campaign for The Link.
NLS fourth-graders donated about $400 in cash to The Link this week instead of buying Christmas gifts to exchange with their classmates at their holiday party.
The students recognized the value of giving to others in need instead of getting a gift for themselves, said Genny Johnson, a fourth-grade teacher at NLS.
"It's a wonderful time of year and the students really pick up on that spirit of giving," Johnson said. "I'm just very proud of them."
The Link intends to open the food pantry in the former New London clinic on Main Street, which is where the old food shelf was located.
A second-hand clothing store as well as a free exchange program for furniture and household goods currently operate there, and in January The Link will move its office to the same building to have closer contact to the volunteers and people in the community looking for help, Otteson said.
Once it's up and running, the food pantry — which she called a "scaled-back version of a food shelf" — will focus on providing basics, such as milk, bread, eggs, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, noodles and sauce, peanut butter, jelly and tuna.
The Link is currently seeking a partnership with Second Harvest Heartland, which can help stretch donated dollars to purchase food for the pantry.
Second Harvest Heartland is a hunger relief organization headquartered in St. Paul. The Second Harvest food bank accepts and then distributes millions of food donations to food shelf partners in 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
The Link's food pantry will be open at least 16 hours a week, including one night a week until 6 p.m. to make it easier for working families to get help, Otteson said.
They are still in need of sturdy shelves for the food, volunteers to paint and "spruce up" the rooms and additional financial support before the doors to the pantry are opened, she said.
For more information, The Link can be contacted at 320-796-2522.
Donations can be sent to 310 Medayto Drive, Spicer, MN 56288.
