The expansion of the facility will allow the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (“CAFB”) to distribute an additional 36 million pounds of food, which is the equivalent of an additional 30 million meals for hungry Central Texans resulting in 150,000 additional people being served by CAFB. The project site also includes a Community Room available to community organizations to host meetings and events; as well as a half-acre community garden that will allow CAFB to grow fresh produce that can be distributed to clients and use as an educational tool.
CAFB serves as a clearinghouse, receiving and storing donated food, fresh produce and other groceries and then distributing these items in manageable quantities to their independent partner agencies. It is the largest hunger-relief charity in central Texas providing food and grocery products, nutrition education and social services outreach to 300,000 clients each year through a network of 300 partner agencies in 21 counties, with a service area that covers 19,064 square miles.
The 135,000 square foot newly constructed facility will double the current warehousing space, increase the freezer and refrigerator space, and provide for the Community Production Kitchen, a high volume production kitchen that will allow CAFB to safely process large quantities of produce and protein for nutritious cooked meals, flash frozen to extend shelf life and dramatically reduce food waste. A key aspect of the project is transporting the food to the communities in need throughout CAFB’s 19,064 square mile service area; CAFB’s Mobile Food Pantries are critical to this goal, by providing safe and effective transportation and distribution of basic staples, fruits, vegetables and frozen foods to rural areas and communities in need.
