Widows Barrel Food Pantry finds permanent home on Highway 66 in Tell City

A new Highway 66 location gave Widows Barrel Food Pantry a permanent base in Tell City, restoring a steady place for Perry County families who depend on its groceries each month. The pantry resumed operations at 130 E. Hwy. 66 on April 8, with hours set for Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The move ended months of searching after Widows Barrel lost its longtime home at 821 10th Street in Tell City. During the gap, the pantry operated out of temporary space provided by the Cannelton Food Pantry, a stopgap that kept food flowing but left volunteers and clients waiting for word on where the county’s largest pantry would land next.

That stability matters in Perry County, where Widows Barrel had long been described as the oldest and largest food pantry in the county. Earlier coverage said it served more than 280 families and about 800 individuals each month, a scale that made the eviction far more than a building problem. It threatened one of the county’s main emergency food access points for households already stretched thin by rising prices and limited margins.

Mayor Chris Cail said the move was secured through a broader local effort, not a single office or organization. He credited Mark Laflin, Lacy Dutschke, the United Way of Perry County, the Perry County Community Foundation, the Perry County Food Coalition, Premier Property Management and the Perry County Development Corporation for helping make the relocation possible. Their involvement showed how deeply the pantry is woven into the county’s nonprofit and civic network, from Tell City to Cannelton.

When Widows Barrel reopened on April 8, it helped 46 people on the first day at the new site. For families who rely on the pantry’s regular schedule, the Highway 66 address brought back something more important than a new building: continuity, predictable access and a clearer future for one of Perry County’s core food resources.