The Pantry, located at 3904 Cedar Grove Parkway, has finally opened, and community members gathered together to help celebrate its grand opening Dec. 7.

A year in the planning, The Pantry opened to clients on Nov. 22.

According to Lisa Horn, executive director, "The look on the faces of clients as they experience a more dignified, autonomous experience" is one of the most important aspects of the new facility. 

Operation Manager Barb Dauchy said The Pantry is 100 percent client choice At the previous location, clients were simply handed a bag of groceries. The Pantry closely resembles a grocery store and volunteer personal shoppers accompany clients and help them select food items of their choice. Thanks to corporate sponsors, especially Cub Foods, Kowalski's Markets and Target Corporation, The Pantry can offer clients fresh produce, meat, deli foods and health and beauty items, in addition to staples and canned goods.

The Pantry is open three days a week for donations and to serve clients. Although food donations are always welcome, Dauchy said they can make a dollar go "nine times further" than buying food from Second Harvest Heartland.

Since the Pantry is open for more hours, there are ample opportunities for new volunteers to come forward and greet clients, act as personal shoppers, restock shelves, and take in donations and deliveries.

In his remarks before cutting the ribbon, Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire acknowledged that although the sad reality that there are hungry people in Dakota County isn't something to celebrate, "What we can celebrate are the people who come out and respond to a need; that is the sign of a community that's working."

"The city has had a great partnership with the Eagan Resource Center," Maguire added, noting that the City of Eagan has provided ERC with city land for garden plots where clients can grow their own food. Maguire also commended Eagan Police Chief James McDonald, who led the effort to collect $7,000 and 30,000 pounds of food during this year's National Night Out.

The Eagan Resource Center has only two paid staff members. According to Dauchy, "150 dedicated volunteers" and the support of several church congregations are what allows ERC to make the difference it does in the lives of the unemployed and working poor, to whom they provide approximately 38,000 pounds of food every month.

In 2005, when the Eagan Resource Center (ERC) opened at 3910 Rahn Rd., its  busiest month included providing food to 35 families. In 2010, with the center bursting at the seams, they are serving more than 500 families each month. This year alone, ERC has seen a 58 percent increase in the number of clients served. 90 percent of the center's clients are residents of Eagan and Burnsville and 50 percent are children.

The Eagan Resource Center Mission is to serve those in need and to eliminate hunger in Dakota County.