PONDERAY, Idaho — The Bonner Community Food Bank, a cornerstone of food assistance in North Idaho for more than four decades, is preparing for its most significant expansion yet after acquiring a new facility in Ponderay that will roughly double its operational footprint.
The nonprofit closed on a 12,222-square-foot property at 900 Kootenai Cutoff Road in April, replacing a 5,900-square-foot building on Culvers Drive in Sandpoint where the food bank has operated for the past 15 years. Executive Director Debbie Love described the acquisition as a long-term investment in the community’s future.
“We were looking for something that I like to say is ‘generational,'” Love said. “Years beyond when I’m here, it’ll always be here for our community.”
A Facility Built for Growth
The 1.7-acre Kootenai Cutoff property brings considerably more than additional square footage. The site includes expanded front and rear parking, a roll-up loading door for more efficient food distribution, open green space suitable for community gardens, and a 2,400-square-foot outbuilding that could eventually be converted into a classroom or commercial kitchen. Love noted that conversion could take three to five years, but called it one of several opportunities the new space opens up.
Another selling point: the new location sits on the SPOT public transit bus route, improving accessibility for community members who depend on public transportation to reach the food bank’s services.
The food bank will continue operating out of its current Sandpoint location through the summer, with a full transition to the Ponderay facility expected to begin around October. Some elements of the site plan — including parking expansion and repaving — will require approval from the city of Ponderay before work can proceed. Volunteer crews, including groups from Cedar Hills Church and Numerica Credit Union, are scheduled to assist with interior cleaning and painting in June.
Rising Demand Driving the Need
The expansion comes as the food bank has faced mounting pressure on its current storage and service capacity. In April alone, the organization distributed more than 10,650 pounds of food and assisted 3,126 community members — figures that have strained the existing facility. The food bank’s lease on its north parking lot also expires at the end of the year, making the timing of the move particularly well-suited.
Beyond meeting local demand, the larger Ponderay hub positions the food bank to serve as a regional resource. When a Spokane-based food distribution organization discontinued its monthly deliveries to the area a couple of years ago, smaller pantries in Clark Fork and at Priest Lake lost a key supply line. Love said the new facility could allow the food bank to step into that gap.
“It’d be nice to be a resource for the Clark Fork pantry and Priest Lake pantry — people could come to us for more support and we’d have food to support them, too,” Love said.
According to property records, the Kootenai Cutoff site was valued at more than $1 million. The nonprofit was able to complete the purchase through years of accumulated savings combined with a loan. Proceeds from the eventual sale of the current Sandpoint building are expected to offset a portion of the acquisition cost.
Love said the food bank will immediately put more than half the new space to active use, with room to grow into the remainder as demand and programming expand. Larger volunteer groups will also be able to work at the facility simultaneously — something the current location cannot accommodate.
What Comes Next
The food bank is targeting an October move-in date, pending city approvals, and is actively seeking volunteers to assist with the transition. Community members interested in helping with the move, donating food, or supporting the organization’s mission can visit bonnerfoodbank.org, call 208-263-3663, or reach out by email through the website.
For more on community and economic development efforts across Bonner County and North Idaho, visit Idaho News for statewide coverage and the Idaho News Network for additional reporting across the region.