Food Bank Market's grand opening highlights number of people helped

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
An exterior view of The Food Bank Market, which had its grand opening Monday at 705 Business Loop 70 W.
An exterior view of The Food Bank Market, which had its grand opening Monday at 705 Business Loop 70 W.

A process that started roughly three years has all but concluded for the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri.

The Food Bank celebrated the grand opening of The Food Bank Market, formerly Central Pantry, at its 705 Business Loop 70 W. location Monday.

The market officially opened six months ago, roughly 2 1/2 years after the new market location was purchased and work started on fundraising and conversion of the space from a Moser's Grocery Store to the market, more warehouse space and a medical clinic for Compass Health.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

In its first month, 11,000 neighbors were aided and has averaged between 10,000 to 11,000 neighbors helped each month since then, said Katie Adkins, Food Bank spokesperson. Some of those assisted include Columbia's college-aged student population, said Food Bank president and CEO Lindsay Young Lopez.

Hunter Atterbury, Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri neighbor services lead, accepts a creamy lentil and vegetable soup sample Monday from Trish Sieckmann, CoMo Cooks kitchen manager, who was onsite to conduct a cooking demonstration at The Food Bank Market's grand opening at 705 Business Loop 70 W.
Hunter Atterbury, Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri neighbor services lead, accepts a creamy lentil and vegetable soup sample Monday from Trish Sieckmann, CoMo Cooks kitchen manager, who was onsite to conduct a cooking demonstration at The Food Bank Market's grand opening at 705 Business Loop 70 W.

That is playing out across the country, added Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.

"College hunger is a real challenge for people pursuing, especially in community college environments, but all college environments. There are some unique challenges in urban centers and ultra rural centers," she said. "(The COVID-19 pandemic) showed you don't have to look to distant shores to find people experiencing hunger."

Volunteer Betsy Vicente shared the story of a college-aged neighbor, Shannon, who visited the Food Bank Market. While Shannon is not a student, they work and the market was a necessary resource so Shannon was able to pay rent and utility bills, Vicente said.

Shannon, who shares a name with Vicente's daughter, wanted to know why Vicente volunteered with the Food Bank.

"Life has been good to my husband and I and we tend to believe it is our responsibility to then respond with kindness in the world," Vicente said in response.

More: One-time American Rescue Plan awards give organizations growth opportunities in Boone County

Vicente's husband, Tim, is a board member and he encouraged people to volunteer at the market, which averages 10 to 11 volunteers. What it really needs is 18 volunteers, on average, he said.

Apart from the food and medical service resources at the market, other service agencies regularly will have tables at the market to connect with neighbors. This can include health insurance providers and even the local Spay and Neuter Project, for neighbors who may have pets.

Opening the market took capital campaigns, federal funding via American Rescue Plan Act allocations and other public and private donations to raise the roughly $7 million to convert the building and its continued work to provide food to the community through a personal choice model. The market is set up much like a grocery store.

More: The Food Bank Market opened a month ago. Here's how many it's helped since then.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia's Food Bank Market holds grand opening, encourages volunteers