The Marshall County Council members considered an appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act funds last week for a new freezer unit for the Marshall County Neighborhood Center as requested by the Marshall County Commissioners.
During the commissioners meeting earlier this month, Neighborhood Center Director Christine Garner explained that the organization is looking for an outdoor freezer and cooler to help store items that are donated to the food pantry there.
She said the plan is to build an enclosed outdoor space for the freezer and cooler where the existing storage shed is located. That shed would be taken down for this project. She said the total cost of the project is about $120,000, including the cost of the freezer and cooler. A grant application was submitted to the Marshall County Community Foundation for the cost to pour the concrete for the slab on which to place the freezer and cooler. The Neighborhood Center would pay for the electrical component.
She noted that the not-for-profit has attempted to purchase additional property to accommodate more space to house items for use by clients, but the funds are difficult to collect to make that happen.
Bulk donations are often offered to the Neighborhood Center and are turned away due to lack of space for storage. Garner said they want to put more food in the hands of their clients and this project will help.
Garner commented last week that in the first week of the month, $1,400 was spent on food and it was gone by the end of the week which helped 120 households.
“I think what’s really unique is the number of senior citizens and those living on disability because their fixed income is not matching inflation,” explained Garner. “That’s where we’re seeing a lot of new households come in and they’re coming from all over the county.”
Garner told the Marshall County Council members last week that the 18X11 freezer and cooler is being built to the space available and that it is movable in case the Neighborhood Center may relocate.
The cost of the desired unit is nearly $60,000. She explained that this is the more expensive model, but the coils sit on top of the unit instead of inside the unit and provides full space on the inside of the unit to store more product.
The council unanimously voted to support the additional appropriation in American Rescue Plan Act Funds for the purchase of the freezer and cooler.
