A K3 Construction crew applied asphalt on the parking lot at the new community pantry location, at 370 SW Culver Highway. The pantry will open at the new spot July 22. Photo by Tony Ahern

The Madras Community Food Pantry is finally on the move.

The Madras pantry, long at the United Methodist Church on 12th Street, is going across town to 370 SW Culver Highway. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 22.

The pantry has long sought a new home and this spring the county purchased the building for the pantry to use.

“We’re looking forward to the move,” said the pantry’s executive director Kathy May. “We anticipate a much nicer facility to serve the community.”

The site received a new asphalt parking lot this week with local contractor K3 Construction doing the project.

May noted that it will take the pantry a bit of time to get fully acclimated to the new site.

“We’re hoping people are patient with us as we get our equipment figured out, design our hospitality area, and configure things for the best flow,” said May.

The ribbon cutting will feature the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and the board of the MCFP. The public is encouraged to attend and join in the ceremony.

Food distribution will begin at the new location on that same day, July 22, at 10 a.m. and will continue through Wednesday and Thursday, July 23-24, and the following week on the same three days, July 29-31. The pantry will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May said the summer season has been very busy at the local pantry, busier than usual as summertime is not typically the busy season. She noted that cuts in food programs at the federal level have hiked demand. The best for the public to rapidly help the pantry is a cash donation, which can be made through their website — madrascommunitypantry.com — at at the pantry itself.

Participation in Jefferson County Food Project is also encouraged. Those participating are asked to put non-perishable food into a provided bag and bags are picked up on the second Saturday of every event month, the next being Aug. 9. Check the website for further details.

May also gave a good report on the pantry’s second Dine Out day in June. While final tallies have not yet been met, so far $6,000 have been recorded with an additional $1,000 or so still expected. Last year, Dine Out raised a total of $6,000.