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Idaho Foodbank expands into Meridian with new facility

Posted at 5:27 PM, Jul 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-21 19:27:29-04

MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Idaho Foodbank will have more room to solve the problem of hunger in our state. For decades, the need to take care of vulnerable Idaho families continues to rise.

A few years ago, the organization began exploring options to expand operations in the Treasure Valley. Thanks to a generous lead gift last year, the Foodbank was able to purchase a large building in Meridian.

"We have expanded our cooler and freezer, we also have four times as much space for our dry food, and we're so excited to introduce new community space," said Morgan Wilson, Chief Development Officer for the Idaho Foodbank. "We have a new volunteer center to welcome the amazing volunteers that make this work possible."

To give you an idea of how large the demand is, before the pandemic, one in nine individuals and one in eight children were facing food insecurity in Idaho. More than 50 percent of people in Idaho who are food insecure may not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to their income level. These numbers highlight the importance of food banks to fill the gap.

The new building is 102,000 sq. feet and gives the Idaho Foodbank plenty of room to store and distribute food.