Phil Castle, The Business Times

A Grand Junction facility is scheduled to open in August that will help meet a growing need to distribute food to people experiencing hunger in Western Colorado.

At nearly twice the size of the existing facility, the warehouse and distribution center is expected to enable Food Bank of the Rockies to provide 62 percent more meals annually.

“The new Western Slope Etkin Family Distribution Center will have a transformational impact on improving food security on the Western Slope,” said Sue Ellen Rodwick, director of Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope.

Food Bank of the Rockies hosted an event near the site where the center is under construction to celebrate the center as well as a campaign to raise $10.8 million to pay for the project.

At 50,400 square feet, the new center will provide almost double the space of the existing Food Bank facility in Palisade. That will include more cold storage capacity for local fruits and vegetables. The new center also will house the SCL Health St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center Meals on Wheels program, which provides free meals to older adults in the Grand Valley.

Food Bank of the Rockies works with nearly 150 hunger relief partners to distribute food in 13 Western Colorado counties. 

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated demand, Rodwick said. In 2021, the organization distributed 12.5 million pounds of food, more than at any other time since it expanded to serve the Western Slope 23 years ago.

A larger warehouse and distribution center will enable Food Bank of the Rockies to provide 62 percent more meals in the region annually, she said.

Amanda DeBock, manager of the meals on wheels program, said demand similarly has increased for that program — from 120,000 meals delivered in 2019 to 190,000 meals delivered in 2021.

The program will lease office space and use the commercial kitchen at the new center to prepare meals. More space and new equipment will enable the program to provide 1,000 meals a day with less work, DeBock said.

That’s not to mention the benefits of cooperation between two organizations DeBock said share the same mission: “To get food in the hands of the people who need it.”

Anne Wenzel, president and director of the Western Colorado Community Foundation, said the warehouse and distribution center constitutes a “keystone project” in collaborative efforts to end hunger in the region. “The new center addresses so many of the goals.”

A campaign to raise the $10.8 million to cover the cost of the facility, equipment and furnishings continues. Major gifts total nearly $7 million, Rodwick said.

The Bruce Etkin Family contributed $1.2 million and the Gary Magness Family Foundation donated $1 million. Additional contributors have included the City of Grand Junction, Gates Family Foundation, the Abram and Ray Kaplan Foundation and Western Colorado Community Foundation.

“We are very, very happy to be here and support this,” said Bruce Etkin, a former member of the Food Bank of the Rockies board. The new facility will not only help address a basic need, but also provide a better place for staff and volunteers to work, he said.

Gary Magness said the contribution constitutes the latest gift in nearly three decades of support for Food Bank of the Rockies. “I know that this distribution center will have positive ripple effects for the community, and I’m excited for the work that will be accomplished with this gift.”

Bellco Credit Union contributed $100,000 tol provide for a volunteer center and more opportunities for individuals and groups to join in efforts to feed the hungry.

“Volunteering is a rewarding and meaningful way to help our communities grow and thrive. By funding the volunteer center, we are able to support staff and volunteers who work every day to organize and distribute food to partners and programs,” said John Rivera, senior vice president and chief retail officer at Bellco Credit Union. “We’ve been honored to partner with Food Bank of the Rockies over the years as a way of giving back to the people on the Western Slope who have provided support to our financial institution since 2009.”

Over the years, Bellco employees have donated time to Food Bank of the Rockies, both on their own and in groups working on such projects as loading and sorting products and building orders.

“Bellco volunteers have been instrumental in helping us meet food needs for people in our community,” Rodwick said. “Bellco also purchased our two dehydration units back in 2011, which has made a significant positive impact in our communities by providing a nutritious snack option for children and their families.”

Rodwick said she’s hopeful for even more financial support for the new center “There’s nothing more meaningful than community members stepping up to help community members.”

For more information about Food Bank of the Rockies and contributing to the warehouse and distribution center, log on to www.foodbankrockies.org/ws-capital-campaign.