Keene, New Hampshire-based C&S Wholesale Grocers is donating $500,000 to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to support its expansion efforts with the development of a larger distribution center and headquarters.
The facility will be based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and will enable The Food Bank of WMA to receive and distribute a larger volume of food, especially fresh food. C&S has been a supporter of The Food Bank of WMA since 2002, providing financial aid and continuous food and product donations.
“The pandemic and economic environment have drastically increased the number of people facing food insecurity,” said Rick Cohen, executive chairman, C&S Wholesale Grocers. “With the development of this new facility, The Food Bank of WMA will be able to reach more families in need.”
The Food Bank of WMA serves as a clearinghouse for the region’s emergency food network, providing 174 local food pantries, meal sites and shelters to feed local communities. With the COVID-19 pandemic, The Food Bank of WMA’s work has changed in response to the growing demand for food assistance – more than tripling the amount of food distributed directly to people and partners.
Due to such an increase in demand, The Food Bank of WMA needed a larger facility that could handle the storage and operations required to provide more healthy food assistance to more people. Its new home in Hampden County has the largest concentration of people at risk of hunger and will enable more local families to have fresh and nutritious meals.
“C&S’s tremendous campaign pledge to build our future home is indicative of decades of steadfast commitment to our mission, including board membership, donated food, in-kind support and grants to prevent child hunger,” said Andrew Morehouse, executive director, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Bob Palmer, CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers, continued, “For more than 20 years, we have supported The Food Bank of WMA’s efforts to feed hundreds of thousands of our friends and neighbors. On average, C&S has donated more than 550,000 pounds of food every year to help their important cause. Now more than ever, C&S’s purpose to keep our communities fed is critical. It is not only what we do every day as a Company, but it’s also a key part of our values to give back to our communities.”
To learn more, visit cswg.com.
