A Food Pantry Evolves into a Center for Transforming Lives

In two decades, The Storehouse Project has grown from a closet-sized pantry into an independent and multi-program nonprofit organization. It serves hot meals in multiple locations, runs a large pantry on-site at its Milford headquarters along with a mobile food pantry, and has an upscale boutique of free clothing and household goods.

Now that it has plans to move into a larger space, the nonprofit is taking the opportunity expand with more offerings and a goal of transforming the lives of the people it serves.

“We are figuring out creative ways to advance people’s lives. We can give you food and that is important, you need to eat but, it is not a solution. It’s figuring out how do we get a layer deeper. There are always roots to the problems. We’re just trying to inch as close down as we can and fix the problem at its core,” says Operations Manager Kimani Sioux Williams.

A recent graduate of The Community Foundation’s Nonprofit Management Program for Emerging Leaders of Color, Williams is at the heart of the organization’s effort to move in this a new direction. She is helping create new programs including case management to help connect people to work, education or other programs that could help advance their lives.

“We are in a society where fame and popularity are so highly valued, but there are tons of people who are just as important who don’t get that attention, and don’t get that opportunity to have their voices heard,” says Williams. “I make sure that I get up every morning and do my part and encourage others and create opportunities for others to do the same.”