Salem approves 55,000-square-foot Westmoreland Food Bank expansion

The Westmoreland Food Bank cleared another hurdle on the way toward a planned expansion that will double the size of the nonprofit’s food cooler, receiving approval from Salem supervisors to proceed.

“We’re expanding by about 55,000 square feet and it’s being funded through (federal American Rescue Plan) funds through the county,” food bank executive director Jennifer Miller said. “We’ll be including a volunteer center, an on-site food pantry and additional space for volunteers.”

Miller said the expansion has been a goal for some time.

“A few years ago the county commissioners approached us and wanted a wish list,” Miller said. “I learned from past experience that you’re never going to get something if you don’t ask for it. So we asked for the sun, moon and stars, and were lucky enough to get it a few years later.”

The food bank also received additional federal grant funding to help with the cost of expansion.

“We’ve been in the planning stages for about two years. Hopefully by spring we’ll be able to break ground and, within seven or eight months, we can be hosting an open house.”

The planned expansion is also coming at a time when the food bank is seeing more clients than ever, Miller said.

“Our numbers have gone up immensely,” she said. “From 2022 to 2023, we went from serving 7,000 to more than 13,000 households. And we’re not projecting those numbers will go down anytime soon.”

Last year, the food bank used $100,000 in federal funding to purchase a custom truck and expand the ability of its Mobile Market. Their goal was to double the truck’s 13 monthly stops throughout the county, and to reduce food waste through the inclusion of a refrigerated unit in the truck.

The food bank often receives requests from grocery stores, such as Sam’s Club, to take excess produce and distribute it to the county. With the refrigerated truck, food bank officials are able to use produce that would otherwise go to the landfill.

Miller said food bank officials are waiting on a few additional federal approvals before they can bid out the expansion project and secure a contractor.

“With the price of groceries and everything else, it has become a necessity for more people to come to us with hat in hand and ask for help,” she said. “It’s been a harsh reality for a lot of our neighbors.”