Family Pantry - Facility Improvement Project

  Family Pantry of Cape Cod Selects Harwich Builder for Facility Improvement Project Increased clients and demand for services require Family Pantry to modify site Harwich, MA, January 11, 2012 – In November, the Family Pantry of Cape Cod provided food to 1,241 families in need (3,400 people) – a record for the Harwich-based nonprofit. This milestone and a steady increase in clients called for the Family Pantry to enlist the professional services of Harwich’s Rick Roy Construction as it seeks better ways to deliver services at its 133 Queen Anne Road facility. “In our 22 year history of successfully providing food and clothing to those in need throughout Cape Cod the number of clients needing our services has grown exponentially with a 60% increase since 2005,” said Mary Anderson, director of the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. “Our Board of Directors understood that in order to efficiently accomplish our mission of providing food and clothing to those in need, we needed to modify the interior of the building to reflect our new realities.” In the past six years the Family Pantry of Cape Cod experienced the following changes: ·         An increase in the number of people needing Family Pantry services from an average of 500-600 clients each month to just under 1,000 ·         Volunteers grew from 100 to over 300 ·         Adding Food Stamp Applications and Fuel Assistance Applications as core services ·         Hiring two part time employees, an Assistant Director & a Warehouse Supervisor to better manage the business ·         Expanding food choices by regularly offering frozen meats and fresh produce in addition to canned and packaged food ·         Creating a thrift shop to augment pantry revenues and help pay for increased services ·         Planting production garden to provide more fresh vegetables and fruits to our clients Anderson added, “Rick Roy Construction clearly understood our goals and presented a very thorough plan to work in stages so that we stay open with no gaps in services throughout the construction process”. Since 1995 Rick Roy Construction has established a reputation on Cape Cod for building quality custom homes, remodeling, restoration and commercial construction. The reconfiguration provides: ·         Increased space and better flow in the food distribution and clothing distribution area ·         Increased space in the clothing sorting area to help keep thrift shop and pantry boutique stocked appropriately ·         A private area to conduct initial client interviews and process food stamp and fuel assistance applications in a dignified and confidential manner ·         A multi-purpose room for new services such as cooking demonstrations and nutrition classes, managing the gift card program, client and volunteer activities and training, management of holiday programs, and committee and Board meetings ·         A handicapped accessible bathroom. The Family Pantry of Cape Cod has always served people well and these changes will allow it to do so more efficiently and afford more dignity for the clients. -- Mary Anderson The Family Pantry of Cape Cod 133 Queen Anne Road Harwich, MA 02645 508-432-6519 x5 fax 508-432-7083 www.thefamilypantry.com

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