PRIEST LAKE — For more than 20 years, the Priest Lake Food Bank has shared space with the Lamb of God Lutheran Church and a small, local thrift store. But over time, limited space proved to be increasingly challenging for the food bank.

"We had stuff at four different people's homes if we would buy stuff in bulk because we didn't have the room to store it at the old location," food bank volunteer Michele Walker said.

Now, thanks to community donations, the Priest Lake Food Bank has a building of its own.

Community members are invited to visit the new building at 218 Lacey Loop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and see what was built through community support.

When the food bank saw a need for extra space, volunteers sought to raise awareness, calling on the community for help. It wasn't long before they responded.

"The majority of people were very supportive, from [donating] a few dollars, to thousands," Walker said.

"It's a huge improvement for us," Walker said.

While Priest Lake is home to many wealthy residents, Walker said food insecurity is more common than the community realized.

"There are the workers, there are the cleaners, there are the servers, the people who are commuting for their jobs," Walker said.

The 400-square-foot building may be humble, but it has already had a significant impact.

"We didn't build a Taj Mahal. We built a concrete floor, metal walls, with a half bath," Walker said.

Still, those simple qualities have made it easier and more efficient for volunteers like Walker to distribute food. Among the upgrades: Produce no longer has to be transported from multiple buildings.

"It's really helpful not to have to move things multiple times," said Walker. "A majority of our volunteers are in their 70s, and we're not getting any younger."

With most volunteers at the food bank being seniors, Walker said the designated storage space eases the workload.

"We don't need to work any harder than we have to," Walker said. "It's easier for us volunteers because we're not having to move all the food in and physically move all the food out."

The food bank's primary clients are men over 55, who Walker said struggling with everything from illnesses to injuries.

"I think these people in their golden years, who are struggling and don't have enough food, especially in the United States, to me, shouldn't even been an issue," Walker said.

Living in a rural area, Walker said a persisting challenge is a lack of accessible grocery stores. Making it difficult for people who don't have a reliable car, or enough money for gas to commute.

But through generous community donations, the food bank continues to provide its community.

"We're excited about it, even our clients are excited about it," Walker said.

    The Priest Lake Food Bank has opened its own building; one made possible through community support. The new facility improves food storage, distribution and efficiency for volunteers serving local residents.