Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Celebrates Grand Opening in Chicopee
CHICOPEE — The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts celebrated the grand opening of its new facility on Dec. 14, which was attended by hundreds of donors and community partners, including U.S. Reps. Richard Neal and James McGovern. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, sent their congratulations via video.
“The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ new, state-of-the-art facility will allow their dedicated team to provide greater access to healthy, nutritious foods to thousands more of our neighbors in need and expand service routes to partners throughout the area,” McGovern said. “I’m proud of the Food Bank’s 40 years of history serving our community and their continued leadership on the national stage in our movement to end hunger now.”
The new, larger, greener food-distribution center, located at 25 Carew St. in Chicopee, is twice the size of its previous Hatfield location, with an additional 18,000 square feet (about four times the area of a basketball court) in the warehouse alone. Floor-to-ceiling warehouse racks and expanded refrigeration and freezer sections enhance efficiencies and enable the Food Bank to store and distribute more healthy food than ever before to 175 member food pantries, meal sites, and emergency shelters of the food-assistance network across all four counties of Western Mass.
“The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is at the forefront of efforts to combat food security amongst low-income families and communities throughout our region,” Neal said.” I am thrilled to join [Executive Director] Andrew Morehouse and his team as we celebrate the next chapter in what has been the remarkable story of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
“This project is also a reminder of the critical role the New Markets Tax Credit Program plays in incentivizing community development and economic growth in underserved communities,” he added. “Ensuring continuity of this program has been one of my top priorities on the Ways and Means Committee, and the Food Bank is just one of the many success stories that have been the benefactor of the New Markets Tax Credit.”
The new site also features a dedicated community space with a working kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes and other educational events. Other efficiencies include electric charging stations, an expanded member pick-up area, and ample parking for staff and volunteers. In 2024, the Food Bank will add a solar array on the roof and a canopy over part of its parking, along with backup battery storage that will fully support all electricity needs of the building.
“I want to express my gratitude to our incredible community of supporters and donors who made our vision a reality,” Morehouse said. “For the first time in many years, we now have the capacity to provide more healthy food to more people facing food insecurity when and where they need it.”
In January 2021, the Food Bank launched its “Feed, Lead, and Strengthen” capital campaign to raise funds to build and equip a larger, greener distribution center in Chicopee. More than $30 million dollars was raised through the generosity of government, corporate, and individual donors.
