A former shoe store in Davenport has been transformed into a food pantry for hungry residents of Scott County. Tuesday the River Bend Foodbank celebrated the opening of its newest site - at North Park Mall in what used to be the Famous Footwear store.
Foodbank Programs Director, Diane Erickson, says it's more like a grocery store than a food pantry.
"So our guests can grab a cart, go through the line, and choose the meal and food that their family would eat. Our goal is to treat all our guests with dignity and value."
The new food pantry is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, for two hours each day, run by a Foodbank staff person and 10 to 15 volunteers.
A similar pantry has also opened in South Park Mall in Moline.
Executive Director Mike Miller says during the past year the Foodbank distributed more than 17 million meals in eastern Iowa and western Illinois - a 24 per cent increase over the previous year. And well on the way to the goal of 22 million by 2025.