After months of anticipation, this is getting real! Right now, The River is temporarily closed while staff move our entire operation into our new home at 3301 Packers Ave.

On Dec. 23, 2025, The River officially closed at 2201 Darwin Rd. It would be the last day we would distribute food from the 11,000 square foot warehouse where I learned what nonprofit work was all about, the place I got my training wheels and the place where I took them off. On that day, many friends, donors and volunteers reached out to check in to see how things were going, how I was doing. I had bittersweet feelings.

For almost 13 years, I have worked in a building that was not nice looking inside or out, a place we outgrew, but a place that contained so much magic, so much good done by staff and volunteers working together. As the last to-go meal was served and the last curbside pantry groceries were distributed, we said good-bye to the place we’ve made work, as a place to distribute food, but also so much more.

As I was reflecting on the days, weeks, months and years since I stepped foot in the building in March 2013 as a volunteer before I applied for the Operations Manager opening, I found myself tearing up. So many memories came flooding back. I’m grateful for most of them.

I could write a book about the many, many wonderful people I’ve been privileged to walk alongside since joining The River: clients, volunteers, donors, staff, community members. I am so blessed to call so many of them friends. But instead, I will just hold tight to the memories and think about what those walls at 2201 Darwin Road would say if they could talk … and to be grateful for the opportunity I was given in 2020 to lead an organization I care so deeply about.

What has made this a special place will come with us to our new home. The mural lovingly painted by so many members of the community, and of course our core values of respect, compassion, community, caring, and generosity, and our vision of a fully nourished community.

It’s worth reflecting on how much we’ve grown and what was achieved even in a small and inefficient building. Over 20 years at 2201 Darwin Rd, The River Food Pantry served:

• 53,271 unique individuals
• 22,884 unique households
• 1,149,299 meals (includes Munch, FAM, and pre-covid onsite hot meals)
• 21,911,544 pounds of food (since 2018 when recording started)

It’s exciting to think what impact we will have with three times as much space!

During the temporary closure, our team will be busy packing, unpacking, setting up, and figuring out how our new space will work.

Food donors can get a sneak peek of the new drive-thru on Monday, Jan. 26. On that day, you can bring your food donations to the drive-thru at 3301 Packers Ave between 10 am and 4 pm.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this journey! We would not be moving into an amazing, welcoming, intentionally designed, sustainable, bright, efficient, mortgage and rent-free building without the outpouring of support we received from this community. Oh, and the natural light and sunshine in our new home is icing on the cake!

We’re almost there!