Increase in Demand Creates Need for Improvements

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Increase in Demand Creates Need for Improvements

Posted by Design Source Inc. on 20 December 2011 | 0 Comments

With the state of the economy, our local food bank, 2nd Harvest is seeing an increase in need for food services. The Future of Feeding Hope program has been established to raise a total of 3 million dollars to help them keep pace with growing demands. The project is broken into 3 phases. The first is the overhaul of the Volunteer Center. The second is the renovation of the building and energy efficiency, while the third is upgrades to parking and access. Thus far, 2 million dollars have been raised and the first phase is nearly complete.

Phase one is dedicated to the creation of a Volunteer Center that focuses on efficiency and an increase in production. Last year Second Harvest distributed a phenomenal 19.7 million pounds of food. Of that 6.1 million pounds was fresh produce and 4.5 million pounds was other perishables. Second Harvest is dedicated to supply healthy food and with the economy not expected to recover for a few more years, the new Volunteer Center will allow output of nourishing fresh food and perishables to double.

One of the most critical aspects to the success of the Volunteer Center is the ability to operate outside normal business hours. By self containing the center, operational costs are kept at a minimum, at the same time providing a safe and comfortable work environment for volunteers. The extended hours are crucial to increasing the amount of food available for Second Harvest’s hunger-relief network.

Another key component to the Volunteer Center is to keep operational costs as low as possible. Second Harvest understands that the workplace can play into a volunteer’s level of comfort and therefore productivity. The Volunteer Center’s new sorting and packing equipment not only meets the highest food safety specifications, in a comfortable, climate-controlled work room. To complete the volunteer’s experience, there is also a new volunteer training room, break room and restrooms.

As part of the project team, Design Source donated their time to assist in the selection of materials and finishes as well as furniture. There were many constraints to work with in our selections and recommendations. With the help of local vendors and collaboration with the design/build team, we were able to secure discounted pricing on select materials that would normally be outside of 2nd Harvest's budget. The result is a Volunteer Center that is as impressively aesthetic as it is affordable.

Though the first phase of Second Harvest's Future of Feeding Hope program is nearly finished, work continues on the remaining phases. The energy efficiency upgrades will keep the distribution center operating at a more cost effective level and the exterior improvements will accommodate parking changes in the future to allow adequate space for the Second Harvest trucks as well as employees and volunteers.

At this time, Second Harvest is still in need of donations to complete the remaining phases. To help by donating or volunteering visit their website HERE.