A new approach to a food pantry opened in time for the holidays in downtown Albany.
Saying he hopes to alleviate the food desert in the city, Pastor Charlie Muller has opened a free market-style pantry in the former Victory Christian Church on Quail Street. Muller has been looking for another way to get food to those in need since ongoing neighborhood violence prompted him to close the JC Club at First and Quail in May 2022, after a stray bullet went through a window.
“We had to make an adjustment, we had to step back," Muller said. "And we had to really look at 30 years of, of doing inner city ministry, and how can we be most effective, and we just felt this 10,000 square foot building on Quill and Bradford Street, and it's in between the West Hill, Arbor Hill, over the College Area crossing over to Madison and Western. So we opened up, and tremendous response.”
Muller says offerings include fruits and vegetables along with whole wheat bread and other healthy foods and snacks. The center will also have a resource office to provide information on all resources that can help in "every situation." The facility will distribute groceries on Wednesdays with an expanded schedule coming in the near future. The building will also double as a "resource center."
“With our years of experience, we also wanted to really tap people into, whether it's a child or teen, a single mom, or a family in the inner city that might be dealing with homelessness, they might be dealing with drug addictions, they might be dealing with, you know, violence in the home and their kids maybe with the wrong group," said Muller. "So we're going to have a resource center where there's counseling, we have a resource guide we're going to be giving them to really try to meet every need, and to be able to really make a difference, to look at how we can shut down some of the violence and that only comes through reaching the people and really being able to communicate and steer them in the right direction.”
Jaquana Gates mingled with other neighborhood residents who showed up at the center the day before Thanksgiving. With many shops and stores shuttering, Gates says 118 Quail was a Thanksgiving blessing for her and her family.
“It means a lot to me because that means we're helping our community, bettering our community, helping our children, helping our kids, and letting them know that there’s always help and God loves you,” said Gates.
Dave Lucas commented: “So I see you got a bag of groceries.”
“Yes I did," Gates responded. "Yes, it is a blessing. I'm very thankful because some things I didn't have. I came right in here and I got with no problem. This is wonderful. And I'm happy that this is back open because it's been down for a little while and I'm so happy that it's here.”
Muller says church services have been consolidated with those at Victory Christian Church's suburban location.
“We had to really look at the parking in the area, because a couple of the parking lots across the way were shut down," Muller said. "And we really want to see how we could collaborate our two churches. We have a church in Colonie. So we moved that up there with a 9 o'clock and a 10:45 service with the intent of turning this building into an outreach center where it's being used more than one day a week. And so we're going to be able to do, we do Monday nights here, open up different nights to teach and train. And to do so much more in a facility is very important. And the strategic location of this property is very important. And actually, we're actually purchasing a new property where we're going to put in a full Recreation Center for kids, and we can transport them and we can reach out to kids that are in some of the areas people don't realize some of the suburban areas where kids are really challenged also.”
Muller says people in need who visit the new center are joining a community with a variety of programs available.
