Harry Chapin Food Bank building 'Hunger Action Center' to address food insecurity in SWFL

FORT MYERS, Fla. - EntSun -- Harry Chapin Food Bank has unveiled unprecedented plans to relieve Southwest Florida's deepening hunger crisis by building a Hunger Action Center, a massive warehouse and distribution facility that will safeguard the community against hunger for generations to come.

More than 125 community leaders, donors, business partners and elected officials gathered Nov. 19 for an announcement and groundbreaking event in which Harry Chapin Food Bank publicly revealed plans to build a 110,175-square-foot, state-of-the-art center in Fort Myers. The event coincided with the nonprofit's transition from a private to public phase of its $30 million capital campaign, Feeding the Future, which is funding the initiative. The Food Bank is relying on public support to conclude the capital campaign.

Currently, Harry Chapin Food Bank serves approximately 300,000 neighbors annually through a robust Feeding Network of up to 175 agency partners. In 2024, the Food Bank provided 39.5 million pounds of food, but that figure is expected to jump to 50 million pounds by 2030 and 100 million pounds by 2050. LeBer noted the surge in demand is being fueled by what he calls the "new hungry," individuals who are working and never anticipated needing help to put food on the table.

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Located at the southwest corner of I-75 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Fort Myers, the Hunger Action Center will more than double the size of the nonprofit's current warehouse in Lee County while doubling the organization's capacity to feed neighbors experiencing hunger. It will complement the organization's existing distribution center in Naples. Operationally, the new building will feature expanded storage space for dry, refrigerated and frozen foods, and 10 truck bays to accommodate inbound and outbound deliveries. Its sophisticated inventory tracking system will allow staff to monitor food supplies in real time using a computerized barcode system that categorizes inventory by product type, expiration date, origin, destination and other factors.

Additionally, the Hunger Action Center will offer a food pantry where neighbors experiencing hunger can shop for fresh produce and groceries, an element of hunger relief not available in tight quarters at the current warehouse. Community meeting rooms will allow Harry Chapin Food Bank and its agency partners to host seminars and classes covering nutrition, health, how to access food, budgeting for groceries and other educational topics, empowering neighbors and agency partners to address the root causes of hunger. The facility also includes air-conditioned spaces for volunteers and staff.

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The ambitious project is the largest in Harry Chapin Food Bank's 42-year history and is being made possible largely through private philanthropy. At the Nov. 19 celebratory event, the Food Bank announced lead gifts through the Feeding the Future capital campaign, including The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and Lipman Family Farms.