The Aberdeen Food Bank has reopened at a temporary location in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church, just a few blocks from downtown.

The food bank has been inactive since January, when a prior location was condemned because of its poor condition. Volunteers have been looking for other locations, but it’s taken this long to find a space.

The temporary site for the food distribution service is now open every Tuesday from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. in the church’s basement, but interim Director Cher Keller said the hours will soon switch to 3 to 5 p.m. to fit her work schedule.

The church is located at 420 N. Broadway, and the food bank is accessible through the basement doors along Fourth Street.

To use the food bank, new customers are only required to provide their name for the record and a form of ID, and previous customers do not need to provide anything.

Those who come in are given a large paper bag or box filled with foods assembled by the food bank’s staff, and some items that each customer can choose for themselves from a separate free items section.

At the end of January, the food bank was forced to move out of their old location at 306 ½ N. I St. after the city condemned the building due to it being structurally unsafe with numerous cracks.

“In the old building, you could see through the wall in some places,” said Keller, who took the interim director role after K Bramstedt retired.

Doug Basler, the pastor for First Presbyterian Church, decided the basement would be a good place to locate the food bank as it looks for more permanent housing.

“We thought, let’s at least get it up and running here, and take our time on finding the right fit,” said Basler.

Keller said there is a building the food bank is interested in purchasing, but no one has met with the owner yet.