The Gateway Food Pantry’s top fundraising event is returning to the Arnold Recreation Center.
The Taste of Arnold will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the rec center, 1695 Missouri State Road. Doors will open at 5 p.m.
The pantry is requesting a minimum donation of $25 per ticket, and all tickets must be purchased in advance. Executive Director Patrick McKelvey said 250 tickets will be sold.
To order tickets, email information@gatewayfoodpantry.org. The deadline to order tickets is Monday, Nov. 17.
“We have sold out the last two years in record time,” he said.
The Taste of Arnold will feature a meal prepared by Adam Lambay, the executive chef at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark and a member of the pantry’s board directors.
McKelvey said the menu will include chicken, pasta with or without beef, a fall vegetable medley, potatoes and salad.
Nothing Bundt Cakes of Arnold will provide dessert for the dinner. Anheuser-Busch, the ABV Barrel Shop of Arnold and Wild Sun Winery and Brewery of Hillsboro will provide beverages for the evening.
The event also will include a silent auction and 50/50 drawing.
McKelvey said the pantry collected about $75,000 from last year’s Taste of Arnold event. He said money from the event was used in the past to fund things like purchasing a new van, repaving the pantry’s parking lot or paying for building renovations.
This year, he said, the focus is on food supply.
“It is about spreading the message about how high the demand has been this year, and how much we plan on spending in the future and how they can help fund that,” McKelvey said. “We never had to focus on food supply before. The Taste of Arnold will provide us the opportunity to inform our community about what we are raising funds for and why we need to do it.”
McKelvey said the Taste of Arnold will allow time to celebrate what the pantry has accomplished this year.
“It has been an extremely difficult year for food pantries,” he said. “It will be nice to have a celebration to bring everyone together between our volunteers, community members, local businesses, officials from the city of Arnold and state representatives, and share all of the things we have been able to accomplish. It is hard to find time to celebrate as a food pantry. This is the time of the year we can take one evening and celebrate all of the incredible things we have accomplished.”
Gateway Food Pantry was previously called the Arnold Food Pantry but changed its name in June 2024. It offers food assistance to residents of the Fox C-6 and Windsor C-1 school districts and those who live in the 63127 and 63128 zip codes in south St. Louis County.
Those seeking assistance or wanting to donate may visit gatewayfoodpantry.org or call 636-287-3663. Gateway Food Pantry is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.