JOHNSTOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A local food pantry in Johnstown is looking to expand it’s impact, and they are doing it in a creative way. One Church Street, a community organization, is hosting an online art auction to raise money for a new community kitchen.
One Church Street created a space for neighbors to turn when they need a helping hand. They host a free choice food pantry, cooking classes, a weekly community meal, and more. Now, they are working towards the next step, with a goal to build a community kitchen.
The One Church Street food pantry is open twice a week. People can come in and grab a cart to shop. There is access to a variety of nutritious foods, from shelf-stable to fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also a variety of kids snacks, frozen foods, and meats.
One Church Street also hosts a community meal every Sunday, called the N.O.A.H. program, short for “Needy Or Alone and Hungry”. Their community kitchen is currently being operated out of a limited space in the church next door, and the goal of the fundraiser is to be able to finish construction of the new kitchen.
Organization leaders said that in 2024, they provided more than 64,000 meals throughout the community, 1/3 of which were children. One Church Street said they want to teach people about nutrition so that they can “thrive and not just survive”.
One Church Street needs to raise $1.4 million in order to finish construction. Once the money is raised, organizers said that they hope to get the kitchen up and running within a year. The expansion would allow for them to continue their mission on a much larger scale.
The online auction is called “Art to Table”, and all of the artists are local. There is a variety of art to choose from in the auction, from sculptures and paintings, to digital art and ceramics. Bidding opens on August 25th at noon and runs through September 17th. To place a bid, head to One Church Street’s website or find them on Facebook or Instagram.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
