Feeding the Valley prepares to utilize new Albany facility

ALBANY — Feeding the Valley is a member of the Feeding America network of food banks, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. In the past year, Feeding the Valley has distributed more than 3.5 million pounds of food to families in Calhoun, Dougherty, Lee, and Terrell counties and plans to open a new warehouse in Albany soon.

Food insecurity facts in the region show that Feeding the Valley and other relief organizations have a lot of work to do.

Figures in the region show:

♦ Dougherty County, with a population of 91,522, has a 25.5% food insecurity rate;

♦ Terrell County, with a population of 8,978 has a 24.8% rate;

♦ Calhoun County, with a population of 6,503 has a 22.4% rate.

♦ Programs provided by Feeding the Valley include:

♦ Mobile Pantry: Providing food for families in rural areas where there is little access to food assistance;

♦ Children’s Food Programs: Providing food for school pantries, weekend meals, and healthy, nutritious meals for children after school and in the summer;

♦ Partner Agencies: Collaborating with churches and nonprofit organizations that provide food assistance.

The new Albany warehouse has more than 35,000 square feet and will have generous freezer and cooler capacity that will enable Feeding the Valley to provide healthy and fresh food and enhance its programs to reach more families in need.

Facts about the new facility at 1706 Ledo Road:

♦ 3.53 Acres which offers room for expansion for the future;

♦ 35,018 square feet of space;

♦ 28-foot ceilings in warehouse space that will allow a five-level racking system to provide storage capacity of more than 3 million pounds of food product;

♦ Refrigeration and freezer space of more than 300 pallet spots that will allow for increased capacity for fresh produce and meats;

♦ Covered loading/receiving docks on the side and back of the building for easy access;

♦ Plenty of paved parking for partner agencies and volunteers;

♦ Volunteer service center to help pack food boxes for those in need;

♦ Generous office and administrative service space.

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