We have begun construction on a new warehouse, and we’re eagerly counting down the months until it opens! After all, a new facility means more opportunities to fight hunger in our region.
We imagine a future that is bold, strong, and resilient. A future that enhances our ability to provide more resources and help to our neighbors. So we wanted to highlight several reasons why this new space is crucial for our development:
- More Food
While the current FTB warehouse has served our community well over the years, the reality is that we still don’t have enough space for all the food we receive. In fact, we’ve had to turn away 25% of food donations due to these constraints.
That’s why our newer, larger facility will include 75% more freezer and cold storage space. This doubles our capacity to store and provide neighbors with fresh produce and other perishable goods.
- More Support
Food alone will not solve hunger. A new facility allows us to engage in a more dynamic approach to create a hunger-free Tampa Bay.
Our space will be a one-stop shop for people to access different support resources, including an onsite health clinic, financial counseling, grocery services, and access to government benefits like SNAP and WIC.
- More Programming
Feeding Tampa Bay is more than just a food bank — our organization wears many hats in order to forge pathways toward self-sustainability. That’s why we’ve created empowerment programs like FRESHforce and FoodRX that aim to improve people’s general well-being and treat them with dignity.
A new facility allows us to enhance and expand these existing programs with more office and development space. It also enables us to open another Trinity Cafe location and serve fresh meals for all.
- More Community
Beyond our vision of food for all, our organization exists to broadly serve and uplift the Tampa Bay community. Collaboration allows us to thrive.
That’s why half of the non-warehouse space in our new facility will include gathering spaces that foster collaboration with our various community partners.
- More Volunteers
Our success at bridging the food insecurity gap wouldn’t be possible without the help of our dedicated volunteers.
With the extra space for food storage and enhanced programming, our new facility will also have 70% more capacity for volunteers. That means we’ll be closer than ever to working together toward creating a hunger-free Tampa Bay.
For more information about our organization’s mission and goals for the future, check out our 2021-22 annual report.
And if you’d like to learn more about this project, visit https://hungerfree2025.com/.