The Ankeny-based agricultural company Albaugh LLC has donated $2 million to Food Bank of Iowa to support the 30,000-square-foot building addition to the food bank’s Des Moines distribution center, food bank officials announced in a news release Thursday.
“This act of generosity is key to building a sustainable solution for addressing food insecurity for decades to come,” Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book said.
The $11 million expansion will include more than 12,500 square feet of freezer space, 16,000 square feet of dry storage space, additional dock doors, an office and paving replacement. The expansion, which was announced in August, is the first expansion since the food bank relocated to its current facility in 1999.
The building addition will nearly double the size of the current location, allowing the group to store and distribute 50% more food, according to Food Bank of Iowa officials.
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The food bank distributes 1.5 million pounds of food per month to 700 pantries and feeding sites in Iowa, and the organization anticipates that number to grow to 2 million pounds per month within the next few years, Book said. Though the distribution center was remodeled in 2018 to expand the organization’s storage capacity, officials said that the food bank still requires more space due to an increase in demand for food assistance.
“It is our honor and privilege to be able to support Food Bank of Iowa in this essential endeavor,” said Dennis Albaugh, founder and chairman of Albaugh. “Even as the unemployment rate remains at relatively low levels, the work of the Food Bank of Iowa is as essential as ever to meet the needs of the working poor, persons with disabilities, the elderly, children, veterans and others needing support.”
Albaugh LLC’s donation will be recognized on an exterior mural, to be installed at a later date, near the entrance of the Food Bank of Iowa’s volunteer center, according to the news release. Albaugh’s branding will also be added to Food Bank of Iowa trucks.
More:Food Bank of Iowa is building a 30,000 square-foot addition to combat rising food insecurity
Nina Baker is a news reporter at the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at NBaker@gannett.com or on Twitter @Nina_Baker0.