One of the three pillars of the strategic plan is Nourishing People through a focus on efficiency, equity of services, and innovation. Also under the Nourish Pillar, our staff and board identified some key facility upgrades that would allow the organization to distribute more food in a more efficient manner. 
Recently, the Wilmington branch completed a capital campaign for an updated building, as insufficient space has been the largest single obstacle to feeding more of our hungry neighbors. The new facility will provide the infrastructure and space to reach more of our neighbors facing food insecurity in the Cape Fear region and allow the Food Bank to operate additional programs to address hunger at its root causes. Construction on this new facility began in March 2022 with plans to move into the space in April 2023. The new facility will include a commercial teaching kitchen, a fresh food market, and a learning farm.
In fall 2021, our New Bern Branch moved from its original location, a 6,500-square-foot facility to a 26,000-square-foot facility at 1702 Red Robin Lane. The impacts of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, have caused distribution in the eastern part of our service area to soar over the last five years. These events have forced operations to run out of additional leased warehouses, stretching our resources beyond their limits. This new facility will allow us to distribute more food, especially perishable products like produce and frozen meats. There is also more space for loading trucks, receiving deliveries, and volunteer projects.
And finally, we purchased the building that houses our Sandhills Branch in Southern Pines. Since then, we have done interior upgrades to allow our staff and volunteers to sort and store more food. Currently, an addition is being planned that will enable the Food Bank to increase our volunteer numbers, with the aim to sort and pack more food.
For more information about our Strategic Plan, visit foodbankcenc.org/stratplan.
