Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s largest hunger-relief organization, tomorrow will celebrate the opening of its new Hampden food distribution center and the completion of a $5 million capital campaign.
The organization will hold a dedication ceremony Thursday, at 11 a.m., at 11 Penobscot Meadow Drive, Hampden.
The event will begin with remarks by Mike Vail, president of Hannaford Supermarkets, followed by a ribbon-cutting with Good Shepherd representatives and local officials. Self-guided tours will then be offered.
Good Shepherd said in a news release that the 40,000-square-foot warehouse was established to help the bank distribute more food more frequently and more efficiently. Food will be distributed through northern and central Maine, as well Downeast.
While many other states are seeing hunger decline, Maine continues to see a high rate of food insecurity, ranking No. 12 nationally, according to new U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
The food bank already distributes more than 25 million meals annually from its Auburn distribution center. Good Shepherd said the new Hampden facility provides capacity to distribute an additional 10 million meals a year, and is fundamental to meeting the organization’s goal of eliminating food insecurity in Maine by 2025.
The center is located in the former printing facility of the Bangor Daily News. The plant was shuttered in 2013, and Good Shepherd acquired the building in 2015. The food bank began using a small portion of it the next year, but renovations to the entire facility cost nearly $5 million.
In July, tech entrepreneur Frederick “Fritz” Onion and his wife Susan Onion, of Wayne, pledged a $500,000 matching gift to help Good Shepherd Food Bank create the new branch.
The facility has three temperature- and humidity-controlled zones, allowing the food bank to store more fresh food — including local farm purchases — for year-round distribution. Other renovations included the addition of racks for storage and a food inspection/sorting/packing area.