Habitat for Humanity and Opportunity House Unveil Community Pantry

Opportunity House and Habitat for Humanity of Berks County recently collaborated on a project that will benefit many in the community.

The Opportunity House pantry was in need of some renovations. The walls of the pantry were bare brick. Lack of insulation meant that the pantry temperatures varied greatly depending on the weather. The floor of the pantry was uneven, which can make food storage tricky.

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As part of Habitat Berks’ work of helping local non-profits with construction projects at a reasonable cost, their construction crew removed the old plywood floor and replaced it with high density floor sheathing.

Photo courtesy of Opportunity House.

Walls were studded out, insulation was added and drywall was put up. A new exhaust fan was installed in the new ceiling to further control temperature.

The electrical work in the pantry was also upgraded and the room was finished with a fresh coat of paint. While construction was underway, Opportunity House staff decided to add a new walk-in freezer and refrigerator to increase their food storage capacity.

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“It’s going to help us keep that area clean and tidy,” said Delia McLendon, Vice President, Shelter and Supportive Housing at Opportunity House. “We can store more food in this area.”

The dock needed some help too. The steel door was replaced and Habitat Berks volunteers replaced some steps that were in danger of collapse.

“This completed project will give Opportunity House an even greater capacity to serve its clients,” explained Habitat Berks Executive Director, Tim Daley. “This is a great example of partnering with others to continue to make our area a place where people want to live and work.”

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Berks Weekly
Berks Weekly
Berks Weekly is an independent and locally owned digital newspaper covering the City of Reading and Berks County. Subscribe today: berksweekly.com/subscribe
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