Valpo Chamber President Rex Richards (Center Left) and OE President and CEO Neil Samahon (Center Right) cut the ribbon on OE’s Shared Table Food Pantry. (Photo provided, Opportunity Enterprises)
In Valparaiso, Opportunity Enterprises (OE) says it recently cut the ribbon on its Shared Table Food Pantry, an initiative in partnership with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana network. The pantry will help expand food sourcing and expand the organization’s impact in Porter County, OE said. “When local pantries and organizations unite, we create a network of support that ensures no one in our community faces food insecurity alone,” said OE Chief Business Operations Officer Rich Bugajski. “By building trust and sharing resources, we strengthen our collective ability to help those in need, lifting each other up, one meal at a time.”
OE President and CEO Neil Samahon said that the pantry will also function as a career lab to enhance OE’s efforts in preparing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the workforce. Participants in OE’s Career Connections program will use the pantry to gain customer service skills while learning about inventory management, point of sale systems and teamwork, Samahon said. Valpo Chamber President Rex Richards also spoke at the event, calling OE a “dynamic quality of life organization” in Valparaiso. “This is just another partnership that will benefit our community,” he said.
Shared Table Food Pantry will be open to the public by appointment only each Friday from 9:30-11:30 AM, a news release said. To learn more about the Shared Table Food Pantry or to make an appointment, visit oppent.org/pantry .
