Lang
2/21/25
The new home for the North Liberty Food Pantry has received a financial boost after the Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved a $50,000 grant for the facility.
That approval came at Thursday’s board meeting. The money will go toward construction of a new pantry at 250 West Penn Street.
Construction on the $4 million project began last fall. It’s expected to be completed later this year.
Ryan Bobst, the pantry’s executive director, told The Daily Iowan that the facility has outgrown its current location at 89 North Jones Boulevard. He added that the pantry has seen a dramatic surge in demand since 2021, including a 593 percent increase in grocery deliveries for families who cannot physically shop at a store, a 98 percent rise in pantry visits, and a 103 percent increase in food distributed to clients.
As part of the agreement with the county, the new pantry will include an outreach office for Johnson County Social Services.