Good Shepherd Food-Bank Opens New Facility
Portland Warehouse and Distribution Center will help to serve more than 140 Southern Maine agencies
July 19, 2010
Auburn, ME – On July 12, Good Shepherd Food-Bank opened its Portland Warehouse and Distribution Center at 111 Pine Tree Industrial Parkway. The 20,000 square-foot facility located off of Exit 47 of the Maine Turnpike will help supply food items to more than 140 food pantries, soup kitchens, after school programs, shelters and other non-profits in Cumberland and York counties. Funding for this facility was provided by the JTG Foundation, Libra Foundation, Virginia Hodgkins Somers Foundation and Feeding America.
This facility creates greater access to emergency food for agencies serving Southern Maine and will provide companies delivering food to the Food-Bank with a more convenient drop-off location. In 2009, the Food-Bank distributed two million pounds of food to Cumberland and York Counties. With the addition of the Portland Warehouse and Distribution Center, that number is expected to increase to nearly three million pounds of food in the coming year.
“The Portland Warehouse and Distribution Center will be integral to the distribution of emergency food throughout Southern Maine,” remarked Rick Small, executive director of the Food-Bank. “We know that our partner agencies are serving more people and now we are able to better serve them. Working together we are feeding Maine’s hungry.” The Portland Warehouse and Distribution Center provides agencies with a chance to “shop” for food items as well as pick up large quantities of food after placing orders through the Food-Bank’s online ordering system.
At this time, the Food-Bank is working to raise funds to equip the Portland warehouse with a refrigerator and freezer. Until a permanent refrigerator/freezer is installed, a refrigerated truck will provide agencies with refrigerated and frozen products while shopping at the Portland warehouse. If you would like more information about this project or would like to make a donation, please contact Christine Force, director of development and marketing, at (207)782-3554 x 1124 or cforce@gsfb.org.
