Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida dedicated its new food distribution center on Wednesday, amidst supporters, including business, community leaders, volunteers and area residents.
Located near the intersection of Mercy Drive and Old Winter Garden Road in Orlando, the new $15 million, 100,000-square-foot facility, will provide hunger relief for over 55,000 Central Floridians per week, including children, seniors, families and the underemployed.
Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, said earlier, although the demands at soup kitchens, shelters and pantries have seen a 100 to 400 percent increase by those in need, since 2006, owing to inadequate space, the food bank has had to turn down over 4 million pounds of donated food each year. And most of the rejected donations were nutritious, high-quality fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, he added.
The new Morgan & Morgan Relief Center, with its increased warehouse space and 113% more dry storage capacity, will help provide an average of 1 million more meals for children each year. The new distribution center also boasts a 440% increase in refrigerated capacity and a 330% increase in freezer capacity, among other features.
