The Foodbank Inc. will celebrate its 50th anniversary on June 25 with a block party, where the organization will host the grand opening of its new community building.
The 12,000-square-foot facility will be opened to the public, showcasing two exam rooms, classrooms and more.
"The 94 folks that I serve are beloved to me, they're really the ones that make the magic happen in this building," said Michelle Riley, CEO of The Foodbank Inc.
What: The Foodbank Inc. Block Party
When: 2 to 6 p.m., June 25
Where: 56 Armor Place, Dayton
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner toured the space onMay 5 after helping the nonprofit secure $2 million in federal and congressional directed funding for the facility.
This funding covered a portion of the $5 million construction costs for the new facility, the rest of which was secured by The Foodbank Inc.
"We look forward to celebrating with you again alongside of all of our partners, funders, community members who made this building possible," said Riley to Turner at a press event.
Turner said providing this competitive funding was necessary to serve more than 110 food insecure residents in Greene, Montgomery and Preble counties.
“The community knew immediately when there was a problem in the community to come here, and the community also knew when they wanted to support people in need where to put their support, and that was at the food bank.”
The community building will also offer wraparound services to those in need, including access to community health workers and information on food assistance.
"Our mission is to eliminate hunger and its root causes. When we say root causes, we mean re-entry, community, and making sure that our neighbors are fed," said Riley.
These services will add to the nonprofit's existing work with multiple partner agencies across the region. The Foodbank reported that it hosted over 853,000 client visits in the last fiscal year, donating over 17 million pounds of food.
"Each year, we help 120 partner agencies distribute between 17 and 18 million pounds of food in our community," said Riley. "These partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters."
Turner said he encourages community members to continue to support The Foodbank Inc. as they continue to grow in the community, following in the footsteps of his own mother who supported the local resource.
"People need to continue to support this food bank because our community has needs, and they are only able to meet the needs here because our community opens our hearts, they open their checkbooks and they support what you do here," he said.
