Anderson’s ‘Gathering of the Queens’ finds new home for food pantry and services
An Anderson charity organization that recently lost its home base has found a new place for its food pantry that feeds hundreds of families every week. As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, this change in venue might allow the organization to serve even more people.
Finding a place to move the Gathering of the Queens’ operation in a short amount of time was a big challenge, according to the organization’s leadership.
Now, the food pantry will live at the New Zion Fellowship Church in Anderson. Queens founder Marilynn Collier says the building’s lower level needs some cleanup. But, she says the organization now has an official lease and an opportunity to grow services.
“Now since it is our own space, we’ll be able to have a senior breakfast bingo on Saturdays, and we’ll be able to have Generation of Steppers more than once a week that do line dancing, and we’ll also be able to have children’s movie nights, and just different things,” Collier said.
Before that can begin, Collier says the Queens still have to move all of their current stock out of their previous location at the Anderson Impact Center.
“We have a 24-foot box truck and it will take it about seven to eight times filled up to get all this stuff over here,” she said.
The new facility will also allow for greater staff accommodations, including a private break room for the Queens. Collier says each one will get their own pink locker with a golden crown displaying their names.
Another benefit is its proximity to the Impact Center, which Collier says will help accessibility for some people who already use the Queens’ services. The New Zion Fellowship Church is located less than half a mile away.
One of the biggest changes at New Zion will be the parking. The Impact Center featured an on-site parking lot, which made it easy to coordinate the long line of attendees. The church building is located along a residential-style street and does not have its own parking lot.
Collier says the Queens have a solution.
“We have traffic kings, people who direct our traffic, and there is a parking lot to the east of the building, and then there are two large parking lots to the north of the building. So, with the help of the traffic kings, and some walkie-talkies, we’ll get the job done,” she said.
Collier says she hopes to have the new place open and running by May 1.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu
