Material Shortage Delays Food Bank Construction
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
In October 2020, Grundy County Mayor Michael Brady received word of grant funding for a new Grundy County Food Bank building. He expected construction to begin as soon as the contracts were signed, but that did not happen. “The holdup is the same holdup for America,” Brady said, “a material shortage.”
“Fortunately, we were able to order a metal building kit with only an eight-month delivery delay,” Brady said. He cited a two-year wait on some orders. “I know people who’ve been told, ‘I don’t care how much money you’ve got, you’re not getting it.’” Brady anticipates late February or early March delivery. “The pad is ready for concrete. Once we get confirmation on a delivery date, we can do the slab work.”
“This is an Eminent Threat Grant project,” Brady said. “It’s got to go.”
Food Bank Director Tim Glover concurs. The Chattanooga Area Food Bank oversees and monitors the Grundy County Food Bank. At a recent inspection, the Grundy County Food Bank received “a huge thumbs up on everything except the building,” Glover said. The food bank currently operates rent-free in a vacated Tracy City grocery store. Buckets catch water from the leaking roof. “There’s pressure to get the new building done,” Glover insisted. “There’s high potential for pests, mice, and rain destroying product.”
Food bank clients decreased during the pandemic, according to Glover. He speculated people receiving stimulus checks, fear of getting COVID if they ventured out, and the switch to curbside pickup caused the decrease in clients. Normally, clients receive an allotment in each food category (e.g., meat, bread, dairy) and select products just as they would at a grocery store. In a survey, 70 percent of clients preferred coming into the building and “shopping.”
Glover said the number of clients has increased recently with federal supplements gone. He expects the demand for grocery life-support to increase even more over the holidays. Typically, the food bank serves an average of 250 families a month.
Fully aware of the need, Mayor Brady said, “The funding for the new building is in place. I expect completion in two to three months once the building kit is delivered.”