Announces New Facility - Mother Hubbard`s Cupboard

1010 S. Walnut Street, Suite G Bloomington, IN 47401 www.mhcfoodpantry.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PLEASE CONTACT:
Amanda Nickey
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard
812-339-5887
[email protected]
MOTHER HUBBARD’S CUPBOARD ANNOUNCES CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AND
MOVE TO NEW AND EXPANDED LOCATION
MHC will move to 1100 West Allen Street this Spring, seeks community support of project
Bloomington, IN – (March 21, 2013)
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, recent winner of the 2013 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award, is
pleased to announce an upcoming move to 1100 West Allen Street in Bloomington, IN. This new
facility will greatly expand Mother Hubbard's Cupboard’s capacity to serve the community
through emergency food provision and nutrition and gardening education programs. The new
facility is currently under renovations and will alleviate many challenges facing Mother
Hubbard's Cupboard in its present location. Currently food pantry patrons face long lines,
difficulty parking, limited hours, and a cramped and hectic pantry space. The new facility will
include a teaching kitchen, teaching garden, classroom, composting, quadrupled food storage, car
and bike parking, and double the size of the food pantry. Mother Hubbard's Cupboard will
increase operating hours from its current 2 hours a day to 6 hours a day. The teaching kitchen,
garden and classroom will enable Mother Hubbard's Cupboard to hold workshops on site,
increasing its educational offerings, and improving patrons’ access to the programs. Mother
Hubbard's Cupboard plans to be operational in this new location by mid May of 2013.
“This new home for the Hub will not only increase our capacity to serve those in need but will
allow us to further develop our award winning education programs. The response from patrons
so far is overwhelming. The relief on their faces when we tell them the Hub is moving, that there
will be no more long lines in the rain, the cold and the heat, it makes all of the struggle worth it,”
said Amanda Nickey, President and CEO Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is raising $325,000 during its’ Nourishing Community, Growing
Possibilities campaign to fund the renovations of the new facility and increased program
expenses for 3 years. MHC has raised 68% of the goal to date and seeks support from the greater
community to raise the last $105,000 by mid-May. Gifts of support can be made online at
www.mhcfoodpantry.org or by contacting Mary Beth Wendelin, Director of Development at
[email protected] or (812)-355-6843.
The Facility Committee was led by Sharon Nowell, and members include Alan Simmerman,
Rhonda Hinds and Kayte Young. The Campaign Planning Committee was led by the late Sophia
Travis, and members include Marcia Veldman, Aviva Orenstein, Mike and Cheri Engber, Sharon
Fugate, and Janice Lilly.
About Mother Hubbard's Cupboard
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is a community-based organization focused on increasing access to
healthy, fresh food through its food pantry, and gardening and nutrition education programs.
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard was founded in 1998 by two young mothers who had both
experienced poverty first-hand. Mother Hubbard's Cupboard’s food pantry distributes over
100,000 bags of groceries annually and focuses on fresh, healthy food. The garden education
program teaches patrons and community members how to grow food on a budget through handson learning experiences in three community gardens. The nutrition education program helps
people learn how to plan and cook simple, affordable meals with a focus on whole foods, how to
shop for nutritious, affordable food, and how to preserve home-grown food. For more
information, visit www.mhcfoodpantry.org