The Brainerd Community Food Pantry, at Brainerd United Methodist Church - 4315 Brainerd Road, will open on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The days and times of distribution will be the second Wednesday of the month from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and the fourth Wednesday of the month, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank serves roughly 18 zip codes through their voucher and emergency food box programs; approximately 10 percent of the requests are coming from the Brainerd zip code, 37411.
“The Brainerd Community has seen a significant increase in the need for food from its most vulnerable residents," said Chairman of the Advisory Board, Bess Steverson. "The time to act and come together to care for our neighbors is now.
The hope is that the voucher organizations in the Brainerd area will give their voucher donations to this pantry and allow those in need to have a convenient pantry near their homes.
The pantry will be modeled after the Red Bank Community Pantry, enlisting volunteers and support from the broader Brainerd community. Currently, the Red Bank Pantry serves approximately 175 families twice a month, roughly 800 individuals. Due to the size of the Brainerd community and the diversity of the population, the Advisory Board anticipates a larger number of families and individuals will be served.
Volunteers and donations are needed. Please visit www.brainerdfoodpantry.com to make a donation and sign up to be a volunteer.
To mail a check, please make it payable to the Brainerd Community Food Pantry and send to Brainerd UMC at 4315 Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37414., and include an email address.
Please email brainerdfoodpantry@gmail.com for any questions.