Days before a deadline to find a new location or risk losing its primary funding, Kaydenz Kitchen has found a new spot for its food pantry in Lewiston.

Leaders of the nonprofit said in a Facebook post Wednesday that the food pantry will move into the YWCA facility on East Avenue.

“This opportunity opens the door … to support even more families, including those already served through the YWCA’s powerful community programs,” the announcement said.

The new location will provide easier access for local families, a centrally located space, stronger community collaboration and more support for neighbors who need it, according to Kaydenz Kitchen.

The organization, which also runs a 24-hour shelter in Lewiston, closed after a fire at its Lincoln Street building on Oct. 7. After the fire, city officials condemned the building, and Kaydenz Kitchen leaders said the food pantry and its supplies were a complete loss.

The Lincoln Street building previously housed the former Schemengees Bar & Grille. Kaydenz Kitchen had moved into the location a little over a year after the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting at the restaurant.

Kaydenz Kitchen leaders said in a social media post earlier this month that Good Shepherd Food Bank had given the organization a Dec. 1 deadline to relocate the food pantry. If the food pantry could not meet that deadline, Good Shepherd would have terminated its account and reassigned roughly $7,000 to another pantry in the community.

“This would be a heartbreaking loss for the community and organization, especially as we head into the coldest, most difficult time of the year, with so many unknowns about food security for the people who rely on us,” Kaydenz Kitchen leaders said in a social media post on Nov. 10.

Kayden Kitchen founder Kevin Boilard did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.

The fire happened at a time when more Maine families are turning to food pantries for assistance. Heather Paquette, president of Good Shepherd, said this month that pantries across the state were seeing large numbers of new enrollees. At some, the number of patrons jumped by 30% to 50%, she said.