Healthy New Albany
The Healthy New Albany Food Pantry is preparing for a transformational new chapter. In November 2025, following months of thoughtful conversation and discernment, the congregation of Rose Run Presbyterian Church voted to welcome the pantry onto its campus, approving a long-term lease that will allow the pantry to build a permanent, purpose-designed home.
This partnership ensures the pantry can continue its mission to provide healthy food and essential resources, while expanding its capacity to meet the rising needs of families across the New Albany-Plain Local School District.
Healthy New Albany
When the need outgrows the space
For nearly a decade, the pantry has operated out of the New Albany-Plain Local Schools Annex Building at 79 N. High Street, generously provided rent-free by the district. That space has allowed the pantry to grow into a critical resource that feeds more than 1,500 neighbors annually.
In recent years, two significant shifts have made it clear that the pantry needs a new home:
1. The school district needs the building back. With student enrollment rising, NAPLS must repurpose the Annex to support its growing population.
2. The pantry has outgrown the facility. The Annex lacks the space and infrastructure required for efficient, dignified service:
- Limited refrigeration and freezer capacity
- No elevator and many stairs
- Insufficient room for volunteers, storage or client flow
In short, the existing building can no longer support the scale or dignity of service the community deserves.
A thoughtful search for a sustainable home
Healthy New Albany
To continue meeting rising need and to build a more secure future for the families it serves, the pantry began searching for a new home.
After exploring many potential sites, including properties that were either unaffordable or unsuitable, one option emerged as both mission-aligned and community-minded: a partnership with Rose Run Presbyterian Church.
In November, the congregation voted to approve a long-term lease of a portion of its property, allowing the Healthy New Albany Food Pantry to build a permanent facility on a dedicated lot with its own entrance on Harlem Road. The lease will be offered at a symbolic $1 per year, a reflection of Rose Run’s commitment to the shared belief that no one in our community should face hunger alone.
The pantry will construct its own building and parking lot, fully funded and maintained by Healthy New Albany and community donors, with no financial or operational burden to the church.
“We are incredibly grateful to Rose Run Presbyterian Church for this gift of land for the food pantry,” says Rachel Haugk, executive director of Healthy New Albany. “This opportunity allows us to build a permanent, purpose-built pantry and gives us the foundation to not only meet the needs of the moment, but plan for the future with confidence.”
A purpose-built pantry designed for dignity and growth
Early concepts envision an 8,000-10,000 square foot Building, designed to reflect the pantry’s core principles: dignity, accessibility and choice. Planned features include:
- Expanded grocery-store-style client-choice shopping area
- Larger cold storage for fresh produce, dairy and proteins
- An indoor waiting space for families
- A fully accessible layout for neighbors and volunteers with limited mobility
- Volunteer work areas
- Space for potential wraparound supports and community partnerships
This purpose-built home will allow the pantry not only to meet today’s needs but to grow sustainably for decades to come.
What’s next
Healthy New Albany
Groundbreaking is anticipated for spring or summer of 2026, following the completion of design work, building permits and the launch of a forthcoming fundraising effort to support construction. The pantry will continue normal operations at the Annex until the new building is complete.
In the months ahead, Healthy New Albany will share updates and opportunities for community members to engage, learn more and support the project.
As the pantry prepares for this next chapter, one thing remains unchanged: its commitment to serving New Albany neighbors in need with the compassion and hospitality they deserve.
“With this new home, we are building more than a facility, we’re building a stronger safety net for our community,” Haugk says. “It will allow us to better live out our mission and is a testament to what is possible when a community comes together to care for one another.”
Dylan Telerski is the Marketing and Communications Manager at Healthy New Albany.
