Photo by Ben Hensley | The Central California Food Bank cut the ribbon on the new home to its Groceries2Go program on Tuesday, Aug. 19, doubling its capacity to serve neighbors in need.

The Central California Food Bank celebrated a ribbon cutting Tuesday for the enhancement of its Groceries2Go and South Canopy projects, transforming the former temporary site into a permanent facility.

The transformation looks to double the footprint of the program, adding cold storage and freezer units, as well as improved workspace for staff, volunteers and workforce development participants.

Since its launch in 2020, the program has distributed nearly six million pounds of food, ranging from protein, eggs and dairy to produce and pantry staples. The program helps to feed over 400 households weekly.

“The South Canopy Enhancement and the Groceries2Go expansion wasn’t just a representation of our ability to store and distribute more food — it’s the ability to better scale up and meet the needs of neighbors that are experiencing food insecurity in Central California,” said Central California Food Bank co-CEO Natalie Caples. “This space represents the growth and transformation that the food bank, in general, has seen.”

The enhancement transformed the once-temporary storage container that once housed the Groceries2Go program and open-air loading dock and workspace into a climate-controlled environment, protecting perishable food from the elements while preserving quality and reducing spoilage.

The project also increased the food bank’s ability to store, acquire and distribute food, adding 10,000 additional square feet of enclosed food-storage space.

With the cost of food continuing to drive demand for assistance programs, the upgrades look to strengthen the capacity of the food bank to provide a safety net for Valley families experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

Earlier this year, the food bank issued warnings of potential cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — also known in California as CalFresh. With the passing of the H.R.1 “Big Beautiful Bill,” around $186 billion in SNAP funding is estimated to be cut by 2034.

The expansion came at the perfect time, according to Caples, who said that had these cuts had come a year ago — prior to the beginning of the food bank’s improvement project — the improvement and expansion of the Groceries2Go program would have likely not been possible.

“If this investment hadn’t happened and those cuts from the federal government came down today, this would not have been possible,” Caples said. “We are resilient; we have incredible staff, donors, volunteer community members that know how to support us and meet the moment and we’re so, so thankful that everything came together the way that it did.”

CCFB is the Valley’s largest nonprofit organization combating hunger and has grown to serve more than 260 member partners, distributing nearly 60 million pounds of food annually. CCFB serves more than 320,000 people each month, including over 100,000 children throughout Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.