The College Park Community Food Bank has relocated to University United Methodist Church.

Its long-time location at 9704 Rhode Island Ave., the previous site of the College Park Church of the Nazarene, is slated for renovations and will not host the food bank afterward. The move comes after 16 years at that site, according to Food Bank President Lisa Bartusek.

“We’re an established location,” said Bartusek, who estimated the food bank serves about 400 families a week. “We have a lot of people who come regularly. … It’s going to be a change in their routine.”

The organization fills about 20,000 requests a year, according to Bartusek.

“We really feel strongly about being a weekly distribution so that people really can rely on us,” she said. “So the idea of just not doing it one week is really not one of the possibilities we think about. We really want to make sure we’re there every week for whoever needs us.”

The new location, 3621 Campus Drive, may present some parking challenges, she added. University United Methodist allows Terrapin football fans to use its parking lot on game days.

“Depending on the time of the game, it might overlap with our Saturday distribution time,” Bartusek said.

Still, she said volunteers will adjust as needed to maintain uninterrupted service.

Some volunteers said the move will not interfere with their mission.

“We’re committed as long as they will allow us to come,” said Bobette Brown, founder and executive director of The Lady Chapter, a leadership program that regularly supplies volunteers to the food bank.

“To offer a glimmer of hope just by offering food, it may seem something small to those that have it, but it’s immeasurable and invaluable to those that do not,” Brown said. “So I just love this, the work that they’re doing.”

Members of the Church of the Nazarene started the food bank in 2008 as a once-a-month program, Bartusek said. It expanded to weekly service during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet increased demand. Since May 2021, it has operated as its own independent nonprofit organization.

“The congregation we’re moving to is very excited about our move,” Bartusek said. “Their mission includes helping food insecure people, so we have a lot of overlapping interests.”