Walmart Foundation gives $25,000 to Franklin County Food Pantry

Special to Capital Living

A $25,000 donation from the Walmart Community Foundation comes at a critical time for the Franklin County Food Pantry, as the Pantry prepares to open its new location on Lakeview Court.

 

According to Terry Magel, Chair of the Food Pantry’s Board of Directors, the donation will help the Pantry continue to provide nutritious food for those in need.

 

“The Food Pantry is grateful to the Walmart Corporation for its generous donation. This is another example of their commitment to help the people in our community who are struggling with very basic human needs,” Magel added. “These funds will be used over the next few months in purchasing groceries that will be distributed to hungry families. With the increase in the number of families we are helping this year and the rise in grocery item costs, we gratefully welcome such corporate donations”

 

Jason Wetzel, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations with Walmart, stressed that the donation to the Food Pantry is part of Walmart’s overall commitment to Franklin County.

 

“The Franklin County Food Pantry does an incredible job of providing one of our most basic needs and the fact that it is run entirely by volunteers is a testament to the support it has,” Wetzel said. “We are pleased to be part of the pantry’s expansion.”

 

Wetzel added, “At Walmart, our community involvement is based on the philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally. We believe we can do the most good by supporting issues and causes that are important to our customers and associates in their own neighborhoods.”

 

The Food Pantry has been in existence since 1981 and currently operates out of a 528 square foot warehouse off of Versailles Road. The new facility will nearly triple their space and include a walk-in cooler and freezer, HVAC and restrooms.

 

“The new food pantry building is nearly 90 percent complete. We fully expect to occupy it by the end of this summer. Our volunteers will soon have elbow room to move around while they prepare food boxes for distribution. With this new facility, we will also be able to expand our service and purchase groceries in greater volume for greater discounts.  Sometime this fall we will hold an open house to welcome the community to our new site and thank all the people who have helped make this 28-year dream a reality,” said Magel.

 

Laura Leigh Goins, Vice President of Communications and Government Relations for the Kentucky Retail Federation, was also on hand for the presentation.

 

“Walmart has a great legacy of improving the quality of life in the communities it serves in a number of ways, including jobs, goods and charitable donations like the $25,000 for the Franklin County Food Pantry,” Goins added. “This is just one more example of how retailers of all types and sizes improve the quality of life throughout the commonwealth.”