A food pantry that serves more than 30,000 people a year needs to find a new home after facing a significant rent increase for the distribution and storage space it uses. The Reformed Church of Woodstock increased the Good Neighbor Food Pantry’s rent from $1800 per year to $8040.
Woodstock Town Supervisor Bill McKenna scrambled and found a generous benefactor to come up with the balance of the rent after pantry president Bill McKnight shared the situation with the Town Board. McKnight said he can come up with $4000, but needed help with the rest or the pantry would have to move.
While the donation means the Good Neighbor Food Pantry is safe this year, McKnight said that amount of rent is not sustainable.
“One of the grants we get is $1800 for rent. That’s it,” McKnight said. “I don’t know if I can go with hat in hand and come up with $6000 for rent every year.” He said the draft agreement from the church indicates yearly rent increases.
McKnight said the pantry used the church rent-free because a previous pastor was appreciative of their work and it was in line with one of the church’s missions.
The church then began charging $1000 at first and raised it to $1800. The latest increase to more than $8000 “is just a real slap in the face,” he said.
The Table at Woodstock, which served hot meals at the church, was also forced to move because it couldn’t sustain a similar rent increase. It now operates in Boiceville and distributes hot meals in the Family of Woodstock parking lot three times a week.
The pantry has until next March to come up with plans for another location. McKnight said he hopes to stay in or near the center of town to remain accessible to many who do not have reliable transportation.
“What we’re really looking for and hoping for is small piece of land that someone can donate or rent to us,” McKnight said.
On that land the pantry will place a prefabricated barn or building similar to what is available at Brad’s Barns, a business near Kingston.
McKnight’s company, which specializes in making buildings winery efficient, will donate insulation and air sealing. They will need volunteers to put up sheetrock, install wiring and build a bathroom.
In recent times, contributions to the pantry have exceeded $100,000 per year, leading some to believe it is flush with cash, but as McKnight explains, it still has expenses and pays for a large portion of food it distributes.
The Good Neighbor Food Pantry pays the New York State Food Bank, which drops off tractor-trailer loads of bulk food in Kingston. Pantry volunteers then pick up the food in a rented U-Haul truck and bring it to Woodstock, he said.
Some of the food is donated by local grocers and can include slightly dented cans, produce that isn’t quite fresh, but still completely edible and meat that has been unsold in the store coolers for a couple days. The pantry takes that meat and immediately freezes it, ensuring it will remain safe to eat.
In addition to regular distribution days, pantry volunteers also deliver food boxes to those who cannot get to the church.
The church pastor, through a statement approved by its board, said while it supports the pantry’s work, it doesn’t wish to publicly discuss conversations about the rent. She explained the church has to recoup expenses, but did not publicly address much beyond that.
“We as the Woodstock Reformed Church Consistory (leadership council) heartily affirm that our mission includes reaching out to those in need. We very much support all efforts to help those experiencing food insecurity,” Rev. Cari Pattison said.
“We do not wish to make the details of a private conversation public regarding our terms with the Good Neighbor Food Pantry. We are grateful for the work they do, and wish them nothing but the best.”
The pantry is setting up a GoFundMe page to accept donations for its future location. Those interested in contributing can make a donation at the Ulster Savings Bank branch on Mill Hill Road in Woodstock, where McKnight opened a special account for the project.
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