Demolition begins for the Food Pantry’s future home

Published February 27, 2020

RENOVATIONS for the new home of the North Reading Food Pantry on the grounds of the Union Congregational Church began Monday when a demolition team took the old walls of the building down to its studs. Among those on hand to inspect the building’s transformation were these CCS board members and volunteers (from left): Barry Corbett, Rod Baker, Carol Hudson, Bonnie Wallace, Lelah Costello, Mark Penney and Teresa Sanphy. (Courtesy Photo)

NORTH READING — “Future Home of the North Reading Food Pantry” proclaims the banner on the white building beside the Union Congregational Church, and the future is coming closer.

A dumpster pulled in Monday morning to the church property at 148 Haverhill Street and a demolition team took the building’s interior down to the studs, making way for construction to begin.

Over the next three months, general contractor David McGlauflin, of North Reading, will direct the build-out that will include new rooms, an ADA-compliant bathroom, a walk-in freezer, a generous shopping area and comfortable waiting room for clients.

A new staircase will be built and a dumbwaiter will communicate with the spacious second floor storage area.

The building is expected to be ready for occupancy by mid-June, at which time the Food Pantry will vacate its present location and free up much-needed space at the Town Hall. The current pantry occupies a few hundred square feet behind the walled-off stage located in the cafetorium/gymnasium of the former Marea J. Murphy Elementary School, which has served as Town Hall for the past 30 years. While this space, along with a dash of Yankee ingenuity, has served the pantry well over the years, its new quarters will be palatial by comparison to include a significant increase in storage capacity plus much-needed private space for meetings with clients.

The renovations are being funded entirely from donations to The HOME Fund in support of the valuable service the nonprofit all-volunteer Christian Community Service (CCS) organization provides to the community for those in need. CCS is comprised of members of the town’s churches and all assistance is provided to families and individuals in need who live in town without regard to their religious affiliation, if any.

Plans to dedicate the Food Pantry’s new home are now underway, in conjunction with the 300th anniversary year of the church. The dedication date will be announced in the Transcript.