Progress Is on the Menu

Whereas it manages a formidable stream of meals from quite a few sources to the individuals who want it most, in recent times, the Meals Financial institution of Western Massachusetts has been doing that job in an area that’s not ample for the work. That may change with the opening, in 2023, of a brand new headquarters in Chicopee that may greater than double the group’s house and permit it to serve extra individuals with extra meals and extra vitamin and educations — in impact, increasing the menu of what’s attainable at a time when the necessity is nice.

The Meals Financial institution of Western Massachusetts was launched in a Hadley barn 40 years in the past. 4 years later, it relocated to its present facility in Hatfield.

As we speak, as considered one of 4 regional meals banks in Massachusetts, the group gives meals to 172 meals pantries, meal websites, and shelters in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Its meals sources embody the state and federal authorities, native farms — together with two of its personal  — retail and wholesale meals companies, group organizations, and particular person donations.

The group additionally gives different types of meals help, reminiscent of vitamin workshops, Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP) enrollment help, and training, public-policy advocacy, and engagement round problems with meals insecurity.

That’s numerous meals and lots of people being served, and never sufficient house to do all of it. The truth is, the Meals Financial institution has needed to flip away about 1,000,000 kilos of meals donations over the previous three years, stated Andrew Morehouse, its govt director.

The necessity for a brand new facility is nothing new, however the actuality of 1 is lastly on the close to horizon, with a $19 million, 63,000-square-foot facility breaking floor in Chicopee subsequent month and set to open subsequent 12 months, greater than doubling the group’s present 30,000 sq. ft of house.

These are gratifying numbers, Morehouse stated.

“This can be a challenge we’ve been planning for most likely six years, once we realized we had been starting to expire of house right here on the facility in Hatfield. So we started the method of determining what we wanted to do,” he informed BusinessWest. “Can we need to increase the power in Hatfield or buy or construct a second facility in Hampden County? Can we function two services? If we are able to’t, are we ready to maneuver to the Springfield space?”

About three years in the past, the Meals Financial institution determined to maneuver to Hampden County, for a number of causes. “One is as a result of it’s proper on the crossroads of two main interstates, which facilitates a great deal of meals to and from the Meals Financial institution. We distribute massive quantities of meals, tens of 1000’s of kilos of meals on daily basis — over 1,000,000 kilos each month.”

“It’s proper on the crossroads of two main interstates, which facilitates a great deal of meals to and from the Meals Financial institution. We distribute massive quantities of meals, tens of 1000’s of kilos of meals on daily basis — over 1,000,000 kilos each month.”

As well as, Hampden County boasts the area’s largest focus of individuals going through meals insecurity. “For that cause as properly, we stated, ‘we actually must be in Hampden County,’” Morehouse defined. “We’ve been an higher Pioneer Valley group, though we serve all 4 counties, and this affords us the chance to boost our visibility in Hampden County.”

Greater than two years in the past, the Meals Financial institution honed in on a constructing on the market on Carando Drive in Springfield and made a proposal to buy, however backed out after the inspection stage. “So we went again to the drafting board,” he stated, and that course of finally introduced the nonprofit to a parcel of land on the Chicopee River Enterprise Park owned by Westmass Space Improvement Corp.

Andrew Morehouse (middle) with Massive Y CEO Charlie D’Amour (left) and Dennis Duquette, MassMutual Basis president, after they introduced pledges of $1.5 million every to the Meals Financial institution’s capital marketing campaign final 12 months.

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The house is plentiful — 16.5 acres, 9.5 of that are buildable, the remaining protected as wetlands and greenspace. The Dennis Group had begun designing a constructing properly earlier than the land buy (Thomas Douglas Architects additionally had a hand within the design), and C.E. Floyd, based mostly in Bedford, will do the development, with groundbreaking, as famous, prone to occur subsequent month and the brand new facility anticipated to open in March or April 2023, with move-in full by that summer season.

“It’s twice the dimensions of our present facility, which supplies us the capability to obtain, retailer, and distribute extra wholesome meals to extra individuals for many years to come back,” Morehouse stated.

Particular Deliveries

The Meals Financial institution’s attain is spectacular, serving as a clearinghouse of emergency meals for all 4 counties of Western Mass., most distributed to native meals pantries, meal websites, and shelters.

“It’s necessary to notice that greater than 50% of the meals we distribute is perishable meals, like greens and frozen meats,” Morehouse famous. “And numerous the non-perishable meals could be very wholesome grains, pastas, beans, and nutritious canned meals gadgets, low in salt and sugar, for individuals who don’t have time to cook dinner.”

A lot of the meals the group collects is bought, utilizing state and federal funds, from wholesalers, native supermarkets, and three dozen native farms, from which the Meals Financial institution bought greater than a half-million kilos of greens final 12 months utilizing state funds; farmers additionally donate one other half-million kilos annually.

“It’s necessary to notice that greater than 50% of the meals we distribute is perishable meals, like greens and frozen meats. And numerous the non-perishable meals could be very wholesome grains, pastas, beans, and nutritious canned meals gadgets, low in salt and sugar, for individuals who don’t have time to cook dinner.”

“We’ve additionally elevated our personal capability to distribute meals instantly,” Morehouse stated. “Because the late ’80s, we’ve been offering meals to seniors in 51 senior facilities throughout all 4 counties, and we proceed to try this. Each month, we ship a truck and supply luggage of groceries to six,500 elders — about 16 meals gadgets to complement elders who lived on mounted incomes. And within the final six or seven years, we initiated a cellular meals financial institution the place we ship a truck a few times a month to 26 websites within the 4 counties — 10 in Hampden County — and supply contemporary greens and different meals gadgets to people who dwell in meals deserts, neighborhoods that don’t have grocery shops the place they’ll purchase wholesome meals.”

Andrew Morehouse says shifting meals — tens of 1000’s of kilos of it a day — out and in of the Meals Financial institution’s headquarters will likely be way more environment friendly within the new facility.

The federal authorities responded properly to all of the sudden elevated food-insecurity wants within the first 12 months of the pandemic, Morehouse famous, however by late 2021, lots of these expanded safety-net applications had been sunsetting, on the similar time inflation was sending meals costs hovering. “We imagine that may result in one other spike in demand for emergency meals.”

He intends for the Meals Financial institution of Western Massachusetts to satisfy that demand regionally.

“This brand-new constructing is designed to maximise the effectivity of the stream of stock. Over the past 30 years at our present facility, we’ve been increasing in a really small footprint in any method we are able to; this new property permits us to maximise effectivity and retailer extra meals and transfer meals out and in extra shortly and have extra bays to obtain meals and distribute it shortly.”

And since combating starvation requires a number of traces of assault, Morehouse plans to make use of the extra house for expanded vitamin teaching programs as properly, together with a big demonstration kitchen. He additionally plans to rent extra workers.

“Now we have partnerships with native hospitals and group well being facilities to handle individuals with meals insecurity. We’ll have extra workers to assist individuals apply for SNAP advantages and have extra group house to accommodate workshops and group occasions.”

One of many challenge funding sources, a MassWorks grant to town of Chicopee for web site improvement, requires the constructing to have a bodily public profit, Morehouse famous. “So we’ve entered into an easement settlement with town the place our car parking zone and group room can be found as emergency shelter within the occasion of a pure catastrophe.”

Talking of funding, whereas the challenge finances is $19 million, the capital marketing campaign aimed to boost $26.3 million, which incorporates financing, furnishings, fixtures, tools, authorized prices, accounting, and fundraising. Of that, greater than $25 million has already been pledged. Giant earmarks included $5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and $1.6 million from Chicopee’s coffers.

“Mayor [John] Vieau has repeatedly stated how proud he’s that town of Chicopee will turn into the hub for meals insecurity for the 4 counties of Western Massachusetts,” Morehouse stated.

Different sources of funding embody a New Market Tax Credit score funding program, which can increase $4.2 million from buyers, in addition to assist from people foundations, and companies, he defined. “Lastly, the Meals Financial institution will make investments the proceeds from the identical of our present constructing to the marketing campaign.”

When MassDevelopment issued a $9.5 million tax-exempt bond for the challenge earlier this month, MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera famous that “extra residents of Western Massachusetts will quickly have the ability to entry nutritious meals and supportive companies with the development of this greater, trendy Meals Financial institution. MassDevelopment is proud to ship tax-exempt financing to assist the Meals Financial institution of Western Massachusetts fulfill its mission of addressing meals insecurity and empowering individuals to dwell wholesome lives.”

“This can be a nice challenge to be part of,” added Matthew Krokov, first vp of Business Banking at PeoplesBank, which bought the bond. “The Meals Financial institution performs a significant function in assuaging meals insecurities in our area, and this funding within the Meals Financial institution’s future dwelling will assist present higher entry for people in our group.”

Meals for Thought

The challenge, like all massive building challenge today, has run into supply-chain obstacles which have triggered delay and boosted prices, however Morehouse and different stakeholders lastly see it coming into focus — and never a second too quickly for a company that offered 11.6 million meals in 2021, reaching a median of 103,000 people per thirty days.

“We’re excited the Meals Financial institution of Western Mass. has chosen the Chicopee River Enterprise Park to relocate their operations and headquarters,” Vieau stated. “I can consider no higher place when it comes to entry, effectivity, and accessibility than proper right here in Chicopee, on the crossroads of New England.” u

Joseph Bednar may be reached at [email protected]