MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — After nearly a decade operating out of a local church, Marco Island’s largest and only food pantry is preparing to move into a new, permanent space.
Our Daily Bread Food Pantry has been serving the community since 2014 — but for the past decade, as demand has grown, it’s been making do with a modest space inside a local church. Now, renovations are nearly complete on a much-needed upgrade: a former bank building on San Marco Road.
WATCH TO SEE WHAT THE RENOVATIONS AT OUR DAILY BREAD'S NEW LOCATION LOOK LIKE:
“We are super excited — we are in our sprint to the finish,” said Executive Director Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan.
The nonprofit says it feeds more than 1,100 households each week, and the move comes at a time of increased need.
“We’ve seen food prices continue to go up,” Rossetti-Ryan said. “We all remember the price of eggs this past year... more costly than gold or diamonds, it seemed," she added humorously.
The newly renovated facility includes a large floorplan, built-in freezers, and designated lanes for drive-up pickup. Pantry leaders say the space will allow them to serve more families, more efficiently.
“This makes an enormous, positive impact on the working families who support all of us — who take care of our buildings, who take care of our lives,” Rossetti-Ryan said.
For nearly a decade, the group has been making do with a small, borrowed space.
“We have been operating out of this space for close to ten years,” Rossetti-Ryan said, referencing their original church location.
According to the nonprofit, volunteers work throughout the week to ensure that high-quality food is available to anyone who needs it. Between January and May of this year, the pantry served more than 26,000 households.
When the nonprofit first started, it served 800 housholds in an entire year, Rosesetti-Ryan said.
“By having a permanent home, our vision is to be a sustainable community resource — one that provides nourishment, encouragement, and hope for all those who need it for years to come,” Rossetti-Ryan said.
Our Daily Bread expects to open its new facility by the end of the summer.
