STOCKTON — Community leaders, elected officials and supporters gathered Thursday as Prodisee Pantry broke ground on Prodisee Pantry North, a new food pantry and resource center that will bring permanent food distribution and support services to rural North Baldwin County.

The estimated $3.8 million facility will be built on 4.5 acres donated by the Baldwin County Commission earlier this year. Mobile-based White-Spunner Construction will serve as the general contractor, with completion expected in June 2027.

"For 23 years, families in North Baldwin County have had to drive up to 40 miles just to reach us in Spanish Fort. This groundbreaking means we can finally bring healthy food and the resources that go with it directly to the communities that need them most," said Deann Servos, executive director of Prodisee Pantry.

The 8,000-square-foot facility will include two loading docks, a walk-in freezer and cooler, a 3,400-square-foot food warehouse, office and clinic space, a 3,400-square-foot community room and 150 parking spaces to accommodate high-volume food distribution days.

According to Prodisee Pantry, the Stockton location will mirror the weekly food distributions and supportive services currently offered at its Spanish Fort headquarters. Local healthcare and social service providers have committed to providing legal, medical, dental and financial counseling services on-site.

"White-Spunner Construction is honored to build a project that will serve North Baldwin families for generations. This is exactly the kind of work our team is proud to take on, and we're grateful Prodisee Pantry trusted us to bring their vision for this community to life," said John White-Spunner, chief executive officer of White-Spunner Construction.

Prodisee Pantry served 11,102 families across Baldwin County in 2025, including 4,663 families in North Baldwin County, distributing more than $2.7 million worth of food, according to the organization. Since its first food distribution in November 2003, the nonprofit said it has served 236,169 families, including 99,191 in North Baldwin County. Approximately 42% of its client families live in the rural communities the new Stockton facility is intended to serve. 

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today.