Home » Food bank unveils Pine Branch Coal Food Distribution Center in Winchester

Food bank unveils Pine Branch Coal Food Distribution Center in Winchester

God's Pantry Food Bank on Tuesday unveiled the new Pine Branch Coal Distribution Center in Winchester.

WINCHESTER, Ky. (June 12, 2012) — As God’s Pantry Food Bank nears goal in its aggressive Come to the Table capital campaign, the nonprofit recognized the generosity of its leadership donors at the naming ceremony Tuesday for the Pine Branch Coal Food Distribution Center in Winchester.

Pine Branch Coal and its owners David and Susan Duff are among many generous donors who have helped the campaign push past its original goal of $3.5 million in an effort to feed more hungry families across central and eastern Kentucky.

“God’s Pantry is an organization that helps so many Kentuckians, either directly or indirectly,” said Susan Duff. “They have such an important mission and have accomplished so much already and will continue to do so.”

The food bank acquired the Winchester facility in April 2010. Space at the organization’s 36,000 s.f. warehouse in Lexington was maxed out and the food bank often was forced to turn down available food donations because of the space restrictions. Without available expansion room in Lexington, food bank advisors indicted the need for a warehouse within a 30-mile radius of the main distribution center to serve as a receiving facility.

“As we name this facility today, we mark an important milestone for God’s Pantry Food Bank,” Marian Guinn, CEO, said. “With this and other improvements now in the works, we are better equipped than ever before to meet the needs in our region.”

The Winchester facility, formerly owned by Wintek, met all of the nonprofit’s needs – located conveniently to I-64, I-75 and the Mountain Parkway, in excellent condition and fully racked  — and was priced right.

The Winchester warehouse is temporarily serving as the organization’s main distribution center while the headquarters in Lexington are undergoing renovations.

The Pine Branch Coal Food Distribution Center is one of six strategic steps in the capital campaign. Other components include:

• A large progressive cooling system in the Lexington facility which will allow the food bank to handle six times more produce, meats, dairy and other frozen product.

• New volunteer areas are being added to the Lexington facility to accommodate and enhance the work of more than 7,000 volunteers annually.

• The first refrigerated tractor trailer was added to our fleet of vehicles last year, making our operations more efficient and effective.

• Two new regional distribution centers – one in the London/Corbin area and one in the Morehead area – to enhance service and increase food distribution to our member agencies in surrounding counties.

God’s Pantry Food Bank also unveiled a new brand image at the naming ceremony Tuesday. The new logo emphasizes the organization’s commitment as a regional food bank while recognizing its founding heritage as God’s Pantry. The logo also delivers a powerful message and challenge. The wheat is missing several kernels, which speaks to the people who are hungry but haven’t yet been reached. The lighter-colored kernels represent those people and places with need we are addressing but would like to be reaching with more food.

God’s Pantry Food Bank provides food to more than 275 emergency feeding sites across Central and Eastern Kentucky, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, and after-school programs. For nearly 57 years, the Food Bank has been dedicated to feeding hungry people by collecting and distributing food and grocery products, advocating for hunger-relief programs, and collaborating with others who address basic human needs. God’s Pantry Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity.

To find out more about the Come to the Table campaign, or to make a secure online donation, visit godspantry.org/cometothetable.