The Madras Community Food Pantry, with support from Jefferson County, is pursuing a state grant that would fund a major expansion of the new food pantry location on Highway 361. The pantry has been in its current location at Madras United Methodist Church for many years, and has outgrown the space. The expansion will help meet rising demand for food assistance and provide a more functional, welcoming space for patrons. 

The grant application, submitted this spring, is the county’s top CDBG priority for Oregon’s 2025 Community Development Block Grant program — an annual funding opportunity designed to support infrastructure and facility improvements in rural communities. The grant funds projects across the state ranging in support from $100,000 to $2.5 million in funding. The program focuses on projects that “develop livable urban communities for persons of low and moderate incomes by expanding economic opportunities and providing housing and suitable living environments,” according to the grant website. 

The proposal centers on a 2,000-square-foot addition to the pantry’s existing facility at 370 SW Culver Highway, which would more than double the size of the current indoor space and significantly expand the pantry’s capacity. 

“We knew when the county purchased the Labbeemint building that it would not be enough space to sustain our growing pantry programs,” said pantry director Kathy May. “The Community Block Grant will enable us to add 2,000 square feet to our building which will be our distribution and hospitality area. It will also have a kids area to keep them occupied while their families shop, and hopefully a demonstration kitchen for teaching.”

The design, developed by Pinnacle Architecture, includes a reconfigured floor plan with an ADA-accessible entrance, a check-in and hospitality area with lounge seating, and a grocery-style shopping floor. Plans also hope for a residential-style teaching kitchen, where staff or volunteers could offer meal demonstrations and nutrition education.

The project would also expand cold storage, upgrade the parking area to include four ADA stalls and three EV-ready spaces, and add outdoor patio space and landscaping. 

For more than a decade, the Madras Community Food Pantry has operated through a temporary agreement with the Madras United Methodist Church, and has outgrown the space. 

In 2024, Jefferson County purchased the Miller Lumber Building on Sixth and B streets  in Madras, originally planning to put the pantry there, but that plan was adjusted. In early 2025, the purchase and lease of the Labbemint building for the pantry was approved. 

At just over 2,400 square feet, the current facility has limited room for storage, shopping, and community programs.

In recent years, the pantry has seen steady increases in demand. More than 1,000 individuals receive food from the site each month, and the nonprofit has extended its hours and volunteer base to keep up.

According to May, the proposed expansion would allow the pantry to grow its services, open for longer hours, and offer a more dignified and comfortable experience for clients.

Grant awards are expected to be announced later this year. If the application is successful, construction could begin in 2026.