The ribbon was cut over the noon hour yesterday on the newest addition to the Jacksonville Food Center, made possible by a generous donation.
Food Center director Melissa Hall says Nadine Szczepanski didn’t volunteer at the center, but knew the importance of the service provided there for those in need.
Szczepanski died in February, and left the money that allows the Food Center to become owners of the building.
Hall says it is a dream come true for the volunteers.
She says it frees up the $20-thousand a year for rent, and allows the Food Center to dream big and plan.
The group had been renting the building since August of 2023.
Mayor Andy Ezard says the Jacksonville Food Center is vital for Jacksonville to fight food insecurity for those in need.
He says the volunteers make the Food Center work, and it’s nice to easy the worry about the future.
The Jacksonville Food Center now owns all of the original Production Press building, allowing more storage. A part of the bequest was also used to upgrade the HVAC system.
The center now has a plaque, and will be known as the Nadine Szczepanski Building.