Tabitha’s Way hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony for new food pantry in Spanish Fork
Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry Executive Director Wendy Osborne said “the need has never been greater” to help families facing food insecurity challenges in Utah Valley.
Last year, the Spanish Fork-based charity responded to that demand by opening new food bank locations in Pleasant Grove and Saratoga Springs.
This year, Tabitha’s Way’s expansion efforts returned to its roots as the charity officially opened its new-and-improved Spanish Fork location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning.
The facility on 50 East and 100 North is 76% larger than its former store located across the street and capable of storing more food and serving more people.
“This enlarged facility is a direct response to the overwhelming increase of families facing food insecurity in our community,” Osborne said. “Rising housing costs, inflation and economic challenges have placed burdens on many households in our community.”
Community members, public officials and store leaders gathered Thursday to celebrate the grand opening and to acknowledge the pressing needs that persist.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Spanish Fork resident, praised Osborne and her team for their efforts and addressed the hunger demand in the state and country.
“I recently saw a headline in the Wall Street Journal that said, ‘To save money, maybe you should skip breakfast.’ Now to see something like that in the Wall Street Journal says something about where we are right now. Times are tough. Times are tough for a lot of people,” Henderson said.
According to a Utah Food Bank report from November 2024, 415,000 people face food insecurity in the state, accounting for one in eight residents. Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo reports it saw a 9% increase in people seeking food assistance between 2023 and 2024.
Last year, Tabitha’s Way helped meet that demand by distributing nearly 7 million meals to 154,719 people.
‘The growth of this facility and this organization, it’s really wonderful on one hand and really terrible on the other, that the need is rising,” Henderson said. “And it is. And hopefully, someday, we won’t need food pantries anymore. But that day is not today.”
Utah Food Bank President Ginette Bott also spoke, addressing the increased need for food donations and crediting Tabitha’s Way for setting an example on how to serve.
Bott recalled meeting Osborne at the original Spanish Fork food pantry in 2014 when Tabitha’s Way and the Utah Food Bank began their partnership and seeing how she interacted with those needing assistance.
“She knew them by name, she knew their story,” Bott said. “One of them was a gentleman that was living in his truck up the canyon. He hadn’t been in for a few days and I heard him say to her, ‘Well, I haven’t had money for gas.’ She immediately listened to the story and assisted him. She helped him. She showed dignity, compassion, professionalism and genuine care. … What’s most important to those that are serving are the exact things Wendy does every day.”
Osborne thanked the donors and volunteers who helped make the new facility possible and expressed her gratitude for “those we are honored to serve.”
She also made it clear Tabitha’s Way’s work was not finished.
“We have a vision of a no-hunger zone where no one in our community needs to go hungry because we have together committed to proactively resolving food insecurity in our community,” Osborne said. “This is a goal that I believe we can achieve, but only if we continue to work together. So, I invite you to stay involved, whether it’s in volunteering, donating, spreading awareness. Together, we can assure nobody in our community is left behind.”
-
- Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry Executive Director Wendy Osborne, middle; Assistant Operations Manager Lillian Kump, right; and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, left, cut the ribbon at Tabitha’s Way on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Spanish Fork.
-
- Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry Executive Director Wendy Osborne, middle; Assistant Operations Manager Lillian Kump, right; and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, left, cut the ribbon at Tabitha’s Way on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Spanish Fork.
-
- Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new food pantry at Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry on Thursday, May 27, 2025, in Spanish Fork.
-
- The new Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry in Spanish Fork is pictured Thursday, March 27, 2025.
