The Food Bank Agency Relations Coordinator Barbara Borntrager honors longtime Lewis County Food Pantry director Nina Porter. The pantry will continue next month at a new location in Canton.
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri will continue to serve those in need in Canton at a new food pantry location on Clark Street.
The Lewis County Food Pantry will distribute food at no charge to the public from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, July 7, at 412 Clark Street. Recipients will need to bring something in which to carry groceries, such as boxes, bags or laundry baskets.
The new pantry location and volunteers are being organized by Mandy Gosik, pastor of the Canton Christian Church. She is currently working to form a 501©3 and a pantry board of directors.
The former location at the First Baptist Church held its last distribution this week. On Thursday, members of The Food Bank staff honored former director Nina Porter for her nearly two decades of service.
“We so appreciate Nina’s commitment to the people of Canton,” said Lindsay Young Lopez, executive director of The Food Bank. “And we are very grateful for Pastor Gosik taking the lead on making sure distribution will continue in Canton. We are confident this will be a seamless transition.”
Porter became involved in the pantry after her pastor asked her to help him one day. Eight years later, she became director. The pantry has grown from serving about 45 families to serving more than 260 families.
“I enjoy meeting the people and working with this group,” she said, referring to the volunteers around her. “They’ve been like family.”