As food banks across the country grapple with steep federal funding cuts, a Mendocino County nonprofit is responding with expansion. The Mendo Food Network will open a new food distribution warehouse in Willits on Saturday, a move leaders say will vastly improve local food security at a time of growing need.
The new facility, located at 1250 Blosser Lane, is 10 times larger than the organization's previous warehouse in Fort Bragg, with five times the refrigeration space and significantly more room for dry storage. Executive Director Amanda Friscia said the added capacity will allow the network to stock more fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable foods for its partner agencies.
“We had to say no to a lot of frozen and refrigerated items before because we’d already filled to capacity,” Friscia said. Now, the food bank can store what it receives and also scale up in an emergency.
The network currently distributes food to senior centers, school pantries, soup kitchens, and resource centers across Mendocino County. Last year, it moved 3.6 million pounds of food. Friscia believes the new space could allow the nonprofit to distribute up to 5 million pounds annually.
But the expansion comes as food banks nationwide are being hit by the loss of federal and state aid. Friscia said a $150,000 state grant is ending and the the Mendo Food Network has lost about $400,000 in food value from the federal Commodity Credit Corporation. To cope, the organization is soliciting financial support, food donations, and volunteers—and encouraging residents to grow food at home to donate.
“Whatever our community can give us, we will take all of it,” Mary Tinder, the food bank's development director, said.
The public is invited to celebrate the ribbon-cutting on Saturday, June 29. The family-friendly event will include kids’ games, raffle prizes, food trucks, and guided tours of the facility. It will also serve as a fundraiser for the organization’s “kids' bags,” which help families who rely on free and reduced-price school meals.