CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Governor Healey also focused on food insecurity while in western Massachusetts on Thursday. She was in Chicopee to announce special grants, this as the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts prepares to increase their mission to serve those in need.

Western Mass News spoke with the food bank as Governor Maura Healey in the city to announce the distribution of millions of dollars in grants to help combat food insecurity which has been made worse with local crops suffering damage from flooding.

Big changes are underway for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Soon, they will be moving from Hatfield to Chicopee. Public policy manager Laura Sylvester said this has been a long time coming.

“Right now, we’ve been out growing our current facility for a long time- our warehouse has had to be really creative in how they store and distribute food we’ve had to have like extra trailers for food, so this will allow us to do our regular operations but in a more efficient matter,” said Sylvester.

She told us this could not have been done with the help of the state.

“We received a number of grants, I think both ARPA grants American Rescue Plan Act grants and also state money to help us build the building in addition, we did lots and lots of fundraisers,” added Sylvester.

This comes as Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll made their way across western Mass. on Thursday announcing $26 million in grants for initiatives to combat food insecurity and the farm resiliency fund to aid farmers impacted by flooding in recent weeks.

“I think it really drives home food security what it really means in the state because so many of those farmers are putting food on the table for residents right here,” expressed Gov. Healey.

Including those who rely on the food bank.

“When crops get damaged, it is not only a devastating event for the farmers, and the people that buy from that farm, but the people that are food insecure who rely on farms to donate the food that we then give to our member agencies that then get it to the people that need it,” explained Gov. Healey.

With food insecurity being a challenge throughout western Massachusetts, we asked Sylvester what the impact on folks will be who rely on their services as they move operations from Hampshire County to Hampden County. She said nothing will change.

“We are still distributing food the same way that we always will, just we will have more capacity to do so because we will be in the bigger building,” noted Sylvester.

Sylvester said they will be moving into their new facility the last week of August and will begin operations right after Labor Day.

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