FRESNO COUNTY – Food bank recipients of Fresno County can expect a more balanced assortment of goodies following a major expansion to the Valley’s largest anti-hunger organization.
On Aug. 19, the Central California Food Bank (CCFB) held a ribbon cutting for a new building expansion that will act as permanent housing for the Groceries2Go program. The expansion has added an additional 10,000 square feet, enclosing the previously open delivery dock and housing new built-in freezers.
“This capacity project, the South Canopy enclosure, didn’t just expand our physical capacity to store and distribute food,” said Natalie Caples, co-CEO of CCFB during her address. “What it did was expand our capacity to serve our neighbors.”
The ceremony saw attendance from a wide range of community members and leaders, including Congressman Jim Costa, Fresno City Councilmember Brandon Vang and Fresno City Councilmember Nick Richardson. Also in attendance were representatives of Senator Anna Caballero, Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula and Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria.
Each representative awarded various certificates of recognition, and the ribbon was ceremoniously cut.
After the ceremony, CCFB Co-CEO Kym Dildine gave guests a tour of the new facilities while volunteers put together packages for food bank recipients. Freezer rooms were being loaded with fresh produce, while fridges housed eggs, juice and other chilled goods.
The Groceries2Go program started in May 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recipients make appointments online for a day and time that works for them, volunteers assemble packages of food and the eventual handoff is completed within minutes of arrival.
The program was sunset at CCFB for a time, but was maintained at the organization’s eight partner locations in Fresno and Tulare counties. After about eight months of construction, the South Canopy allowed for the program’s return to the food bank on Aug. 1.
In the early days of the program, CCFB operated Groceries2Go out of a donated shipping container. While this made the initial launch of the program possible, the offerings provided to families were limited by the risk of inventory theft and inability to store perishable food.
“This will create more comprehensive meals, allowing for a larger volume of food and more perishables to come,” Dildine said.
While Dildine happily celebrated this major improvement to the food bank’s facilities, she also expressed a continued concern over the recently passed cuts to SNAP assistance. During a time where demand for food assistance is expected to increase, while federal support is decreasing, CCFB is going to be especially reliant on the support of generous donors and volunteers.
“We need more volunteers and more donations than actually ever before,” Dildine said.
Luckily, the food bank has already seen sweeping support from local partners. During her opening address at the ribbon cutting ceremony, Naples thanked CalViva Health for their continued support and for committing a combined $100,000 for Groceries2Go.
“We know that good health begins long before someone walks into a doctor’s office,” said Jeffrey Nkansah, CEO of CalViva Health, during the ceremony. “It starts with access to healthy food, safe housing and peace of mind that comes from knowing your family’s basic needs are being met.”
Among many other rounds of thanks, Naples also cited Governor Gavin Newsom’s Assembly Bill 129, which in part provided major investments for fighting hunger in the state, as a major component for the improvement project to even be possible.
Those who want to show their own support for CCFB by donating their time or money, as well as those in need of the food bank’s services, can find all of the necessary information on the organization’s website.
