Storehouse continues to ease poverty’s effects

Custer’s Storehouse just added a large addition to their building at 66 Centennial Drive.
The Storehouse already provides free furniture, clothing, shoes, bath products and household items to Custer County and has done so since 2010. Now their  building’s new addition further expands the Storehouse’s food bank by doubling refrigerator and wall space, with now more shelves to hold even more donated food.
This large addition to the Storehouse provides more room to house fresh meat, cheese, local corn, milk and prepackaged food  — adding to their walls of available soup, pasta, peanut butter, rice, canned fruits, beans, tuna and cereal.
In most towns when a resident needs basic provisions, a link to services can often be difficult to access because there are red-tape qualifications and paperwork requirements. Yet, the Storehouse serves our local community with a welcoming approach where all items are simply free to all Custer County residents.
The Storehouse acquires items solely by donation from residents.
“It’s just our community doing all the support,” Storehouse director Kim Canete said.
The Storehouse is open six times a month yet Canete said it’s unfortunately very common for donations to arrive on the property after business hours. Then these donations become damaged from  waiting outside in the weather and the items have to be thrown away. Canete said, “Storehouse volunteers often have to take care of soaking wet boxes of donations.”
Canete requests that those who want to donate, please drop off items only on days when people are working at the Storehouse. The Storehouse is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first three Wednesdays and Saturdays of each month.
Custer’s First Interstate Bank is collecting coats this week for the Storehouse’s coat project Nov. 5. The Storehouse will soon have racks of coats, mittens, boots, scarves and snowpants. Canete notes how free clothing can help to improve a person’s employment and can in turn permanently help change their life.
Canete thanks Ed Pulse for “blessing the Storehouse with his great craftsmanship in building this pantry addition.”
She also celebrates the Storehouse’s volunteers: “Everything is great here. Our volunteers clean and sort, and now have even more space to work in the food addition.”
Canete also expresses a large thank you to Custer County for their “endless community support” for the Storehouse.