In February 2020, the Foodbank launched Growing for Good: The Campaign to Reach Further and Feed More. The capital campaign will fund the construction of an additional distribution center in Canton and a mission-critical expansion of the Akron facility.
Having a second facility will give the Foodbank greater capacity to source and distribute more meals to the community. Capacity constraints were felt well before the pandemic, but as more food was needed to keep pace with the increase in demand, we needed to rent storage facilities.
Though COVID-19 affected the livelihoods of many of our neighbors, the community remained faithful and steadfast in its resolve to fight local hunger. Nearing the end of 2020, the Foodbank was closing in on its $11.5 million campaign goal and because of the community’s generosity, construction of the new facility remained on schedule. The project should be completed this summer with doors opening to the public in the fall.
In addition to food distribution, the Stark County Campus will offer wraparound services for local families in the Keith D. Monda Family Food & Resource Center. An onsite food pantry will provide regular, weekly access to a variety of nourishing food items and will operate in collaboration with Foodbank staff, volunteers and hunger-relief partners within the Foodbank’s network.
The Aultman Health Foundation Resource Room, located within the food pantry, will provide community members a convenient space to learn about and connect with support services beyond food. The types of services provided will be informed by community feedback and will be made available as soon as the new facility opens.
The new facility will also offer volunteer opportunities, collaborative office space for hunger-fighting partners and a teaching kitchen.