By Kylie Balk-Yaatenen - October 3rd 2023
MILTON
The Milton Food Pantry will spruce up its building façade with the help of a $5,000 tax incremental finance grant from the city of Milton.
The Milton Common Council on Tuesday night approved the $5,000 TIF grant for the pantry, located at 26 Hilltop Drive.
Milton Community Action Group, Inc. has run the Milton Food Pantry for more than 10 years without making any façade improvements in that time. It had asked the city for a grant of about $12,200 from its TIF District #7 to replace canopies over the exterior entrance.
According to city memorandum, with this grant approved, the city’s façade grant program fund through TIF District #7 has about $6,000 remaining in it.
Phyllis Fry, treasurer for Milton Community Action Group, said the upgrade will improve the look of the building, help the volunteers and clients stay dry in inclement weather and make clients feel better about going to the food pantry.
“When the volunteers bring the food out to clients, they have paperwork and an awning would help keep them safe during rain and snow,” Fry told a Gazette reporter earlier Tuesday.
She said Community Action has been trying to clean and fix up the outside of the building. Last fall they repaired the concrete steps and this coming spring they are going to fix the parking lot.
“It will look much nicer and like less of an eyesore for the city,” Fry said.
She said the planned changes will also help people find the pantry, located in a residential area. The planned installation of a red awning will help it stand out, she said.
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