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The Storehouse Food Pantry is one of a handful of area nonprofits to receive Community Development Block Grant CARES Act grant funding, but that doesn’t mean donations are no longer needed.

Located at 607 Hickerson St., Manchester, The Storehouse Food Pantry received $150,000 in grant funding to be administered through Coffee County.

Storehouse Vice President Laurie Campbell said that while the grant funding is appreciated and helpful, the nonprofit is limited on how it can utilize those funds.

“When we say we have a $150,000 grant and the first thing people say is you are going to be able to buy food, or be able to use it for utilities, no,” she said. “There are all kinds of stipulations.”

Storehouse founder Staria Davison said need is continuing to grow in the community. The nonprofit provided Thanksgiving food boxes for 922 people and will continue to need food donations to provide food boxes to those in need each week.

Other reoccurring expenses for the nonprofit include a $1,000 monthly mortgage, phone, internet, electricity and water bills, building insurance, vehicle insurance, waste collection and fuel.

Davison said some things the $150,000 in grant funding can be used for include refrigerators, freezers, ovens, shelving, food preparation tables, food delivery vehicles in addition to packaging material such as bags and boxes.

Campbell said The Storehouse has three years to spend their $150,000 portion of the $500,000 allocated to Coffee County nonprofits.

“There are some things that we can use right now, but again, we have time to really do this right and if an unexpected thing comes up under these stipulations then we will have the funds,” she said.

Davison said she had hoped to be able to utilize some of the grant funding to replace their building’s aging bay doors or insulate the building to make it a little cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter for volunteers, but found out those modifications do not qualify for the grant funding.

One needed item the storehouse will be looking to utilize a portion of the grant funding for is a new food delivery vehicle, at least one that is new to them.

“We have one delivery van,” Davison said. “The little one out here is my personal vehicle and I went and asked if I could put a sign on the side of it when my husband drives it or I drive it to pick up. We need another vehicle that will stay here.”

Davison said one thing that sets The Storehouse apart is they do not ask for any personal information when they do their food distributions each week.

“It is a community effort, to be able to serve more people,” Davison said. “We are still getting people from surrounding counties that come and one of the reasons is we have no questions asked. We get calls all the time, what do I have to do to qualify. We don’t have any qualifications.”