By DAVE SCHULTZ
A 24-hour food pantry will soon be located in the 200 block of Perry Street behind the Department of Child Services office.
The pantry is a project of the Wells County Child Protection Team. Angie Vachon, a member of the CPT, talked about the plans with the Bluffton Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday afternoon.
She was at the board meeting to ask for permission to place the shed that will house the pantry on the sidewalk on Perry Street, since it will be in the city’s right of way. The board approved the request.
According to information provided to the board, the shed will be 2 feet by 2 feet or 2 feet by 5 feet. It will be purchased by the CPT using funds donated during the group’s annual “Stop Child Abuse in its Tracks” fundraiser.
It will be known as Mandi’s Pantry, honoring the life of Mandi Haslet. She died of cancer in March 2019 at age 34 and, according to the letter submitted to the city in the right of way request, “devoted her adult life to helping children and families.” She was 34 years old when she died.
“The concept is simple — give what you have and take what you need,” the letter said. CPT members will monitor and supervise the project.
“As community members become more familiar with the concept, they will learn to give and to receive non-perishable food items, preferably items that can provide a meal to families,” the letter added.
The shed will be painted by a local artist to make its purpose obvious. Its location was chosen “so that others have easy access to it at all hours of the day to help provide for others.”
While Vachon is an employee of the Department of Child Services and the pantry will be located there, the pantry will not be a part of the DCS operation.
Vachon said the pantry is expected to be available for use in April, but there was a possibility it could be open as early as the end of March.
daves@news-banner.com
