Some sad news from the Butler Pantry Thrift Store

In the coming week when you visit the Pantry Thrift Store you will likely notice a for sale sign and banner on the property. Sadly it is another sign of the times. There are many factors that have brought us to the decision to sell the property at 901 South Outer Rd. This was not a choice that came easily. Both the Board of Directors and I feel strongly that we need to consolidate and focus our resources on our food pantry going into 2027.  For several years now we have been experiencing a continuing decline in both sales and monetary donations. Volunteerism is at an all time low.  Our volunteers are ageing out and few replacements are forthcoming. As it stands now nine paid staff are running two businesses that operate six days per week. If it was not for the hard work and dedication of a small group of relentless volunteers at both the food pantry and the thrift store we would have closed our doors long ago. We can't begin to express the depth of our gratitude to this group of people who just keep showing up to help. 

As you know, the cost of goods and services continues to rise.  Small businesses all over are feeling the difficulty of balancing the increasing cost of labor, utilities, insurance, and more with the pricing of products. In a sentence, we are losing money and can't continue to operate at a loss.  As of now, we plan to close the doors of the thrift store at the end of December 2026.  We will run the business as usual until then or until the property sells, whichever comes first. 

It is our sincere hope that as we make these changes, opportunities will open for others to create something new. Our Pantry Thrift Store has had a good run of nearly 15 years.   Our intention is to keep working on our food pantry to provide more support for our staff and volunteers there and most especially, to provide more time and attention to our food pantry clients.  January 2027 will be the 25th Anniversary for the Community Food Pantry of Butler and we're looking forward to some new events and programs as we will have more time and resources to allocate to creative endeavors.  We are looking forward to being a dedicated food pantry and continuing our  services and programs in this community.  Right now our food pantry serves approximately 350 to 400 households each month.

Please remember to continue your support of the food pantry as we move through this difficult transition and your continued support of the thrift store is more important than ever.  It is our pleasure and honor to serve you and this community. We are especially grateful to all our regular customers who cheer us up when we see you come through our door.  We can't thank you enough or tell you how much you are appreciated.  As we go forward we hope you'll come visit us at the food pantry and remind others of the importance of donating, contributing and volunteering. 

In the meantime, keep following us on our Facebook pages to stay in touch. Thank you for all you do. You are truly appreciated by us. 

Sincerely, Renee Bannerman, Executive Director, Community Food Pantry of Butler

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