When you visit the Nederland Food Pantry, you might be struck by how much of the pantry space and surrounding land is dedicated to food production and display. That’s intentional.
Over the last several years, the pantry has worked hard to produce food on the land around the pantry building, which is an old school. Through the addition of a greenhouse as well as the cultivation of land specifically for gardens, the pantry produces almost all the produce it provides during the summer months. A community garden planted and maintained by residents makes for additional produce donations.
“It’s really a volunteer, community effort that we are all proud of,” said Nicole Cavalino, the pantry’s executive director. “It’s wonderful to be asked by our clients about the new food we are now able to offer due to grant funding and them being truly satisfied with the selection.”
This satisfaction, coupled with the challenging economic times, has driven need and interest in the community giving. Last year, the pantry served about 15,000 people in the greater Nederland area which includes the smaller communities of Jamestown, Ward and Wondervu through pop-up pantries.
The pantry keeps weekly and weekend hours as well as hosting a monthly Human Services fair every fourth Thursday that brings together Peak to Peak resource groups who provide everything from mental health services, to housing assistance and veterans’ services to older adult and disability services.
Cavalino said the pantry itself has gone through a makeover following the pandemic. Pantry clients are now again able to shop in a space that feels more like a typical food market. The pantry doesn’t provide prepacked boxes anymore, instead they give shoppers reusable grocery bags to shop freely for their needs.
Also changed for the pantry is what shoppers are able to put in those bags. Beyond what Cavalino describes as an abundance of fresh, local produce, clients are also able to get fresh locally sourced beef, pork, chicken, eggs and cheese. By using the Food Pantry Assistance Grant, the pantry has been able to work with local ranchers, farmers and fishermen as well as through their community food co-op, the Mountain Peoples Co-op, to add a variety of nutrient rich proteins and inject money back into the local economy.
All of this happens with just Cavalino, a part time operations manager and garden manager on salary. The rest is accomplished by community volunteers.
“It’s really wonderful to see what we can accomplish with a little additional resource and a community really dedicated to everyone’s success,” Cavalino said.