Page 15 - BusinessWest January 22, 2024

“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.”
“We have to be innovative. We have to be able to adapt to circumstances,” he said. “We have a strategic plan, and every year, we have specific objec- tives — and all that can go out the window if something hap- pens, like a pandemic, and then we have to pivot.”
That applies to any entity — for-profit or nonprofit — of this size, Morehouse added, noting that the Food Bank has a $9 million annual operating bud- get, and the value of the food that comes through is about $18 million, so this is essential- ly a $27 million operation, with a staff of 67, and plans to hire another 14 by the end of 2024.
“We acknowledge that it’s
the dedication and talent of our
staff that’s the source of our
success,” he told BusinessWest.
“That’s our ethos as a business
— that we can succeed in our
mission when we acknowledge and invest in our staff and the hard work that they’re doing.”
The new 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 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 quickly distribute more healthy food than ever before to 175 member food pantries, meal sites, and emergency shelters across all four counties of Western Mass.
The new site also features a dedicated community space with a
Andrew Morehouse addresses guests at the Food Bank’s grand-opening ceremony last month.
working kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes and other educa- tional events. Other efficiencies include electric charging stations, an expanded member pick-up area, and plenty of 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.
BusinessWest
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