photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Volunteers with the Ballard Center organize clothes, shoes, food and other items in the new building addition on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

The opening of the Ballard Center’s new pantry comes at a critical moment — just as many Kansans may lose access to food benefits amid a prolonged government shutdown.

Even though no kids were at the Ballard Center on Friday, several cars were in its parking lot as volunteers were seen working to move products from one building to another. The new building houses the organization’s pantry – offering an ADA-accessible food and clothing pantry along with a dedicated volunteer space for organizing donations.

“Today is taking everything that is in the historic brick schoolhouse building of our old pantry and our old storage – we call it the dungeon – and getting it all over here into this beautiful new building,” CEO of the Ballard Center Kyle Roggenkamp said.

Volunteers were organizing dozens of totes and boxes of clothes, shoes, food, diapers, work attire, kitchenware, household items and more to fill all the shelves for the pantry’s opening at 9 a.m. on Monday.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Volunteers organized clothes and shoes in the Ballard Center’s new building addition in preparation for its opening to the public on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.

Roggenkamp said with the new space, the Ballard Center pantry will be able to double its service capacity overnight and two families can use the pantry at a time instead of one. Last year, 7,297 household members were impacted by the Ballard Center’s pantry services.

“This was a dream five years ago, and it’s coming true . . . ” Roggenkamp said. “We’ll be able to in the next year serve 16,000 people out of this new space. We’ll be able to serve them with more stuff and just in an environment that they deserve.”

As the Journal-World reported, the Ballard Center has also partnered with nonprofit Growing Food Growing Health to provide free, fresh produce to the new pantry. In preparation for opening the new building, the Ballard Center applied for a $5,000 grant from the Douglas County Community Foundation to bring in a cooler to the building that would hold the fresh produce from Growing Food Growing Health.

The fresh produce has also helped the Ballard Center’s cook eliminate processed foods and bring in fresh and local produce for the kids at the school.

“Nancy (O’Conner) and the teenagers that work in that garden at West Middle School have provided over 3,000 pounds of produce this year to the Ballard Center,” Roggenkamp said. ” … Our partnership with Growing Food Growing Health has not only revolutionized our kitchen for the kids, it’s revolutionized our pantry with access to fresh produce.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The new building addition to the Ballard Center is pictured on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. It will be used to house a pantry for food and other items.

Roggenkamp said he’s most looking forward to the first family to walk through the pantry’s doors on Monday.

“When the first family walks through the doors and sees the brand new pantry space that really mirrors a true retail space,” Roggenkamp said. ” … We have all been talking all week about how do we all make sure we get to be a part of seeing that look on their face when they’ve been coming to that other pantry for the last decade without overwhelming them.”

Alice Karakas Neuman, a donor and volunteer at the Ballard Center, said her favorite part about working to open the new pantry has been how excited the organization’s staff is.

“To be a small part of putting this together and to see their excitement because they’re the ones who really do the day in and day out work,” Karakas Neuman said. “So they know the direct impact this will have on children and families . . . and so that’s kind of the second hand reward we get from this.”

Will Averill, chief operating officer at the Ballard Center, said the Ballard Center’s pantry has been a resource utilized by the North Lawrence community for years and it’s a key support for a lot of people.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The produce pantry, which will include fresh produce from Growing Food Growing Health, is in a refrigerator within the Ballard Center’s new building addition.

“It very much feels like a part of North Lawrence and a part of the community in a great way,” Averill said. “And having Woodlawn (Elementary) just down the block, they’ve been so supportive of our work here. And just having this very special building that is both an early childhood center and also has those family supports. It’s just amazing for the community and for us to be able to be a part of that.”

…

While the opening for the pantry has been long awaited by the Ballard Center, it comes at a time when food access for families could become a lot harder.

Starting Nov. 1, it was anticipated that around 190,000 Kansans will no longer receive food benefits from SNAP – or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The pause to SNAP benefits was a result of the ongoing government shutdown entering its 40th day on Saturday. The USDA confirmed that funding has run out on their website and it has led to a temporary suspension of the program because Congress has not passed a funding bill.

The AP reported on Friday that two federal judges have now ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for SNAP using contingency funds, but their availability beyond this ruling is uncertain. While a judge has temporarily blocked the suspension, the program’s long-term funding remains unclear.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

CEO of the Ballard Center Kyle Roggenkamp talks with volunteers on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

Food partners in the county have not seen a food crisis this severe since the creation of SNAP decades ago, according to a release from Just Food. In response, Just Food announced the creation of a fund where if food pantries are “stretched to their limits,” it will ensure children, families and neighbors continue to have access to food.

“This is a crisis our community should not have to bear — but we will, together. This is not just about the people using SNAP benefits, this is about our entire economy. Every dollar invested into SNAP has a $1.50 benefit to the local economy,” the release said.

The fund will be called the “Douglas County Partner Pantry Fund,” and it will go through the shared fund with the Douglas County Community Foundation. Every donor dollar will be used by Just Food, who will purchase food and distribute it across all other local pantries.

Roggenkamp said the Ballard Center has rallied around the table with every food partner and food service agency they could think of and helped create the fund, so they are best prepared for when Monday arrives.

“We’re trying to put ourselves in a position where if we wake up Monday and SNAP benefits haven’t been restored, we’re able to hit the ground running . . ” Roggenkamp said. “I hope that SNAP benefits get restored. It’s the only sustainable solution. If they don’t, our community is facing nearly a $1 million hole in food assistance.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The art on the wall at the Ballard Center’s new building addition recognizes the donors who helped make the project happen.

Roggenkamp said a halt to SNAP benefits like this has never happened before.

“It’s scary. It’s terrifying,” Roggenkamp said. “I’m worried about my team that are already doing so much to serve people, but we’re as prepared as we can be, and I hope all of that work isn’t necessary next week.”

People can donate towards the fund on the Douglas County Community Foundation website. In addition, donations are encouraged to the pantry and nonprofit people already support. If you do not have an established relationship with a pantry, reach out to info@justfoodks.org, and they can connect you with the closest resource.

“When people want to drop off food, which they have been left and right this last week, bring it to the pantry that you’re closest with because those beautiful relationships matter more than anything right now,” Roggenkamp said.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Volunteers with the Ballard Center apply mulch outside of the new building addition on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Volunteers with the Ballard Center organize clothes, shoes, food and other items in the new building addition on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

There will be a kids corner in the Ballard Center’s new building addition, so children can read and play while families shop at the organization’s new pantry.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Volunteers organized clothes in the Ballard Center’s new building addition in preparation for its opening to the public on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Adult and baby clothes are some of the many items at the Ballard Center’s pantry.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The donations entrance to the former pantry at the Ballard Center.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Staff and volunteers of the Ballard Center cleared out the organization’s former pantry and moved items into the new building addition on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Ballard Center, 708 Elm Street, is pictured on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A sign outside the Ballard Center, 708 Elm Street, is pictured on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.