Food Bank of Iowa cuts the ribbon on its newly renovated Des Moines distribution center
Food Bank of Iowa unveiled its newly renovated Des Moines distribution center on Monday, September 17, 2018, at a special event celebrating the culmination of the Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope campaign.
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie and Food Bank of Iowa Board Chair Ross Dean joined Food Bank of Iowa President and CEO Michelle Book in cutting the ceremonial orange ribbon. Dean and Book also delivered remarks, joined by Nationwide representative Kevin Peterson, in front of a crowd of about 75.
“Today, all of us are standing amidst the triumph of the Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope campaign,” said Book during her remarks. “Today, we pause to take a well-deserved victory lap. Tomorrow, we will be back at it – working diligently to make certain that hard-working Iowans, senior citizens, veterans, and children receive the nutrition they need to lead full and active lives.”
The unveiling event came at the end of an 18-month renovation process, which completely overhauled the distribution center, offices, and volunteer center. Without adding on to the building, the Food Bank was able to increase dry food storage and dramatically increase refrigerated and frozen storage capacity. The campaign was formed to help Food Bank of Iowa reach its goal of doubling distribution from 1 million lbs. of food to 2 million lbs. of food distributed each month.
Highlights of the renovation include the addition of a safe, comfortable, dedicated volunteer center; Food Bank of Iowa’s first ever on-site food pantry; and a clean room for the breakdown of bulk donations. Another goal of the renovation was to mitigate the impacts of deferred maintenance by the total overhaul of infrastructure systems (e.g. HVAC, plumbing, and electrical), achieving ADA compliance for the first time, and remediating black mold and asbestos.
The campaign was made possible by generous contributions from a number of local corporations and philanthropists. These donors will be recognized in a permanent donor wall at the Food Bank, as well as on the Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope webpage.
View a photo gallery from the event.