Wellfleet Food Pantry Granted Lease and Permission to Construct New Building
Site will increase support for residents facing food insecurity
May 18, 2026
Contact: Sandra Galvin
wellfleetpantry@gmail.com
774/722-3753
WELLFLEET, MA— At its May 5, 2026 meeting the Wellfleet Selectboard approved the lease of the parcel of land at 715A Old Kings Highway to the Wellfleet Food Pantry. The lease is for a period of 99 years at the cost of $1 a month. It allows the Pantry to construct a new, larger, better equipped and fully accessible pantry building to support the increased needs of over 400 local residents facing food insecurity. Through an aggressive Phase One capital campaign, the Pantry’s Board of Directors and volunteers have raised the necessary funds to construct the building. Work is expected to begin in early fall.
Sandy Galvin, President of the Pantry’s Board, expressed her delight. “We are extremely grateful to the Selectboard, the Town staff with whom we’ve consulted, and especially to the very generous community members from Wellfleet and beyond whose support has made this possible.”
She added, “There is still work to be done and we have initiated Phase Two of our capital Campaign. The additional funds will go to equipping the interior with freezers, refrigeration and shelving, and support our solar panel installation and a back-up generator. Granting the lease and permission to construct our new building allows us to move forward so we can continue to aid the community.”
At the Selectboard meeting Town Administrator Tom Guerino commented, “The amount of work the folks at the food pantry have done has been heroic. It is amazing and should be recognized.”
Selectboard member Ryan Curley added, “I’m very thankful to have the food Pantry.”
Economic conditions and administrative changes have caused an even greater number of residents to rely on the Pantry for access to nutritious food. The number of families shopping at the Pantry increased from 165 in 2020 to over 240 in 2026, an increase of 45%. As a result, the organization outgrew its former location at Grace Chapel and moved into a rented office trailer in the parking lot of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church along Rte. 6. However, the Pantry soon found even that slightly larger space to be insufficient. In addition, despite a high rental fee, the trailer has no running water or lavatory and is expensive to heat and cool. The Pantry’s board and volunteers have worked tirelessly over the last two years to find a permanent home.
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