BATH

The Bath Area Food Bank is moving to a new location — the former Knights of Columbus Hall on Middle Street.

Kimberly Gates, executive director of the Bath Area Food Bank, said the nonprofit will be purchasing the building for $225,000 and hope to close on it in late June.

“The way it all worked out was pretty incredible,” said Gates. “It never went on the market. We made an offer pretty fast when we found out that (the Knights of Columbus) didn’t want it.”

The food bank, which consists of a food pantry and soup kitchen, is currently located at 150 Congress Ave. in Bath. Gates thanked New Meadows Group, owner of the current location, for letting the nonprofit out of its lease there.

She “is so grateful to the New Meadows Group for allowing us to terminate our existing lease, they feel feeding food insecure families and individuals is important and want us to be able to continue our mission.”

According to Gates, the soup kitchen currently serves between 80-100 people a day, though that number increases in the summer. With the food pantry, she estimates an average of 200 families are served per month, or an average of 600 individuals.

The soup kitchen will reopen in the new space as soon as renovations are completed, said Gates. It was closed last month and the hope is for it to be up and running again in mid-July. The plan is for it to be open every Tuesday and Thursday from noon-1 p.m. for a hot meal as well as a meal to take home.

The last open pantry day at the Congress Avenue site will be July 19. Gates said they hope to move the last week of July and reopen the food bank in the new location on Aug. 2. The hours for the food bank will be Tuesdays and Thursdays — 2-4 p.m. for students and caseworkers, and 5-7 p.m. for individuals and families.

Though the new space isn’t larger than the current location, Gates said owning the property offers the nonprofit more freedom than when it was a tenant.

“I can do anything I want, any day I want, any program I want, and not have to worry,” she said. “The programs can grow, and we’re closer to the high school — at least for a couple of years.”

Gates said she was happy to be relocating to the downtown area.

“It’s the little things that are going to make a big difference,” she said, “(and) it is going to be more accessible for families downtown.”

The move will be the second for the soup kitchen in a short period of time, having made the transition from its longtime home at the First Baptist Church to Congress Street last year.

Gates noted it was a board decision to temporarily close the soup kitchen last month and move to the new location.

“The soup kitchen had to go,” Gates said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the board made the right decision.”

“It was a difficult decision, but one the board felt had to be done,” said Jayne McCole, chairwoman of the food bank’s Building Committee.

The nonprofit is excited to reopen in the new building.

“We’re definitely looking forward to our new location and reopening the soup kitchen and our new future,” McCole added. “The Bath Area Food Bank has always dreamed of having our own building.

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