Antioch for Youth & Family — an organization that serves food to people who need it in Fort Smith — expects its new food pantry to be up and running Feb. 14.
Antioch is going from 3,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet at its new building at 1420 N. 32nd St. in Fort Smith.
“What we will have is a capacity to receive, a capacity to store and the capability to serve beyond which we’ve ever been able to do,” said Ken Kupchick of Antioch.
With the new building, Antioch will be able to take in large amounts of food more easily and with less physical labor from volunteers, Kupchick said. A $26,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation is paying for a receiving dock and drainage repair.
“A forklift will move 2,000 pounds at a time. We were having to carry 40 pounds,” he said.
In addition to providing food, the new building will have space for an intake area for people coming to receive food, SNAP sign-up, a kitchen where staff and volunteers can wash, separate and bag food, cooking and nutritional classes and counseling.
When people come in, they’ll be able to walk through the pantry with a food coach who can talk to them about the nutritional value of food and help with easy, healthy recipes.
“What we want most is to lead people toward self-sufficiency,” Kupchick said. “The last thing we want to be is a hamster on a wheel doing nothing more than handing out food. That accomplishes nothing except it stops the hunger. We want to stop the hunger, but we want to make families food secure and self sufficient at the same time, so that at some point, they no longer need us.”
Antioch is also looking into extending its hours to accommodate more people and is planning to move away from paper to be able to better track how often people come to the pantry, average family sizes, food preferences and allergies and more, such as what people have available at home. Some people only have a microwave or are homeless.
“No matter where you are, we’re going to help you and make you feel comfortable with the decision that you reached out to us,” Kupchick said.
In front of the building will be disabled parking and trellises with food growing on them. Kupchick said he and founder Charolette Tidwell want an Unexpected mural to be painted on the side of the building.
“We definitely want a mural that reflects the mission of what we do to celebrate this place as a solution to a problem,” he said.
As for the organization’s original location at 1122 N. 11th St., Tidwell plans to use it to mentor children, something she already does through things such as the Antioch Community Garden, where children can learn about growing their own food.
“I want to build with kids a sense of community,” Tidwell said.
Tidwell said her two major goals are to help kids develop a work ethic and a sense of purpose. She is working with them on more than nutrition and food security and is working to organize a choir and art classes for kids as after-school and summer programs.
Antioch has received donated and reduced items and services from several individuals and companies but is still looking to raise money to complete the development. Donations may be sent to P.O. Box 1571, Fort Smith 72902.
