LOGAN – The Cache Community Food Pantry is holding an Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of their new multi-million dollar, 9,240 square foot warehouse behind their current location at 259 South Main in Logan. Matt Whitaker, the executive director of the Cache Community Food Pantry, is excited about having more space.
Matt Whitaker executive director of the Cache Community Food Pantry gets a thank you for clients he just signed up for help on Tuesday Oct. 15, 2024.
The Open House will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
The new warehouse will have heated shelves, more refrigerator and freezer space, and a clean room to repack bulk donations. The extra space will also allow the pantry to serve more clients in the region.
“This new facility will allow patrons, and other nonprofits, to shop the shelves just like at a grocery store,” Whitaker said. “This extra room will help us be more responsive to our client’s needs.”
The number of people needing help is increasing and the donations are decreasing. Whitaker hopes that will change when people see the need.
“In 2022 for the month of September we had 826 qualified families we provided food assistance to,” he said. “In 2024 we have 1,321 qualified families that depend on us for food.”
The reason for the growth in clients right now is the economy the cost of food and other commodities is going up and wages aren’t going up as much. Whitaker screens all of the clients to make sure they qualify for the pantry’s assistance. He is seeing more migrant families, people with disabilities and even more middle-class families that just don’t have the income to make to the end of the month.
Cache Community Food pantry excepts people garden Produce.
“I am getting middle-class families who say they used to put $200 in saving every month,” Whitaker said. “These days, they say they are going in the hole $200 a month.”
The 25 other nonprofits and food pantries they serve are running into the same dilemma. Organizations like CAPSA, CETC, two school districts that have their own food pantries and other qualified organizations. Rich, Franklin and Box Elder county pantries depend on the Cache Food Pantry for assistance. Utah State University is the food pantry’s biggest draw. They take more food each week than any of the other organizations.
“I hate to cry wolf,” Whitaker said. “We have more empty bins right now than I have ever had for this time of year.”
With the holidays approaching, help is needed. The grocery stores and food sources are giving the best they can, but there still isn’t enough for whom they serve.
“Our clientele are single mothers with multiple children, people with disabilities, senior citizens or people on fixed income who can’t get a job,” he said. “These people need our help and if we don’t get more food, we won’t be able to help them.”
The pantry has a bin behind the building on the west side where people can drop off canned and dry food 24 hours a day or they can bring it to the back door when they are open. Cash donations are also accepted.
The Cache Community Food Pantry is currently seeking donations for people i need.
The pantry can also use garden produce if people have extra. Whitaker said the food pantry is now accepting Thanksgiving donations.
For more information on how to help, email cachefoodpantry@gmail.com.