The Fort Madison Food Pantry is the new owner of the former Rashid Library Building. The food pantry has leased space in the building for several years and supporters are glad to know they are staying put.
“We are delighted to be able to remain in that location. It is just perfect for us,” said Lin Cramer, President of the Fort Madison Food Pantry Board.
She said the food pantry will continue to share the building with the United Way Resource Center, which has also been leasing space there.
Cramer said ownership of the building means the food pantry can proceed with plans to install a new freezer and move ahead with other projects.
Cramer said the goal is to come up with grant funding to pay for repairs and renovations, which she said could add up to around $80,000.
“The community has been so good in helping us with funds and food donations,” Cramer said.
“We want the community to keep with the food (donations) … and then we would write a capital grant and (the grant) would take care of those repairs. We don’t want to double-dip on our community’s citizens.”
Cramer said the Rashid Library was built in the 1970s but after a number of years the community decided it could no longer afford two library buildings. The Rashid building was closed while the historic Cattermole Memorial Library Building continues to serve Fort Madison.
She said the city owned the Rashid building but wanted to reduce its inventory of properties. She said the food pantry was concerned it might have to close if the building was sold and the organizations were forced out. But the Lee County Board of Supervisors this week agreed to accept the building from the city and then gift it to the food pantry.
“We put everything on hold until we got an answer. So that’s what it really means. It gives us a future,” she said.
Cramer said 350-400 clients walk through the food pantry’s doors every month, and the numbers have trended up recently.
“It is pretty heartwarming to see all the people that we are able to help,” she said.
