MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — A Marco Island-based nonprofit that has been fighting hunger in Collier County for nearly a decade is moving into a new permanent home on San Marco Road.
Our Daily Bread, the island’s only food pantry, is now renovating the 5,000-square-foot building that sits at 1818 San Marco Road.
The nonprofit has been serving the community out of a local church since 2016, distributing thousands of meals each week.
"We knew we needed a permanent home for the food pantry," said Executive Director Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan. "We've been growing 20% year over year, and we really needed a dedicated space."
WATCH TO SEE WHAT THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING LOOKS LIKE:
Last year, the pantry purchased the building for over $3 million. The space was previously a Fifth Third Bank.
"The building we're currently standing in used to be a Fifth Third Bank many years ago, so when we first acquired this building, it still looked like a bank," Ryan explained.
The building is still under renovation, but Ryan explained that many of the former bank's features will work to their benefit.
"This building is designed for optimal receiving and distribution of food. We'll have a roll-up door where our delivery trucks can unload, along with large refrigeration and freezer units," Ryan said. "We'll also have a spacious area where we can move carts out for our main distribution on Saturday mornings."
About 17% of the people served by Our Daily Bread live on Marco Island. The rest work on the island -- many in the service industry, the group says.
"Many of the people we're serving are working individuals, and many of them work right here on Marco Island. A lot of them come to pick up their groceries on Saturday mornings, either before or after work," Ryan said.
The pantry gives out food every Saturday at 9 a.m. outside Family Church Marco. Our Daily Breads plans to start serving from their new location by summer 2024.
