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FEEDING HOPE
Rendering of new Culinary Center (Photo courtesy SAFB)
NEW WEAPON IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER
The San Antonio Food Bank is planning a new 60,000-square-foot facility on the Food Bank’s existing Westside campus, expanding the nonprofit’s reach with the addition of a new production kitchen, a culinary training center, enhanced nutrition education space and a seasonal venison processing plant. The project is set to break ground in the spring of 2020. The new facility will support expanded pro-gramming in the fight against hunger in six key areas. CULINARY TRAINING
The Food Bank has run a hugely successful culinary training program for more than a decade that targets the homeless, disabled and long-term unemployed. This new facility would offer a TUBUFPGUIFBSU UFBDIJOH LJUDIFO The greater San Antonio region has hundreds of unfilled positions today in the hospitality industry and this expansion would allow the Food Bank to quadruple the number of participants per class. Classes run in 18-week blocks and 100 percent of graduates looking for work post-graduation receive offers. Class Number 85 is currently underway. PRODUCTION KITCHEN The new facility wJMM be home to a TUBUFPGUIFBSU QSPEVDUJPO LJUDIFO capable of producing more than 50,000 meals a day, more than TJY times produced in UIFDVSSFOULJUDIFO0OFPG UIF'PPE#BOLTQSJNBSZHPBMT JTUPNFFUUIF near-constant demand for meals for children, but the kitchen in the existing facility limits the Food Bank’s ability to meet that demand. A larger production area is necessary to meet the goal of being the first large city in the United States to end childhood hunger. Hunger often interferes with a child’s ability to sleep, impedes focus and affects the physical wellbeing of a child, often leading to illnesses due to lack of food and proper nutrition. Ending childhood hunger will change the trajectory for future generations. The new kitchFn is being built to operate 2UP 3 shifts per day, 7 days a week. THE “GROCERANT” PHENOMENA 3FBEZ.FBMTo2VJDLBOE/VUSJUJPVT4PMVUJPOT This development plan also includes a new “Grab-andGo” salad prep plant where the Food Bank would wash, store, prep/chop, and assemble healthy salads and Ready Meals (with as much of the produce as possible coming from its own farms). Time deprived low-income families need a solution that is both quick and nutritious. The Food Bank is prepared to meet this need by offering fresh prepared meals. The organization is the leader in Southwest Texas in promoting healthy eating, and the addition of a salad prep plant would afford a wider variety of healthy food options to those facing hunger. BY MICHAEL GUERRA
% *4"45&33&-*&'"/%-"/%*/5&(3*5: Texas is home to about 3.6 million white-tailed deer and South Texas is home to the largest population in the United States. The expanding population has detrimental effects on the abundance and diversity of vegetation and wildlife. In an effort to re-balance the ecosystem and avoid further loss of biodiversity, calls for culling large deer are issued. The resulting venison can feed thousands of individuals through the Food Bank’s existing “Hunters for the Hungry” program. The Food Bank will address this opportunity by building out its own (seasonal) venison processing plant as part of the larger culinary facility. The venison will provide high quality protein for its meals and clients, while promoting environmental stewardship. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The San Antonio Food Bank currently practices environmental responsibility and energy savings throughout its campus. Efforts include water catchment, solar and wind power and hydroponic gardens. Sustainable development aligns with the Food Bank’s philosophy of offering support for today, tomorrow and a lifetime by minimizing the depletion of natural resources for future generations. The Food Bank will embrace its commitment to the environment by extending these features to the new Culinary Center. Solar panels and
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XBUFS DBUDINFOU CBTJOT XJMM CF BEEFE UP DPNQFOsate for the buildings increased resource demand. Additionally, a hydroponic garden greenhouse will sit adjacent to the Center showcasing alternative growing techniques that use less water than traditional methods and reduces waste and pollution from soil runoff.
CU LINARY HERITAGE EXHIBIT An exhibit housed within the new facility will act as a nod to our city’s rich culinary heritage. A wide-ranging collection of histories, memorabilia, menus and photographs will showcase our celebrated food city. The installation will invite the public to discover the many businesses and stories that have shaped the flavors of San Antonio. It will thread the past, present and future together, inspiring viewers to value the significant role food plays in our cultural heritage. The 2017 designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy echoes the depth of our culinary narrative and the San Antonio Food Bank is humbled to have it as an integral part of our space. Editor’s note: Mr. Michael Guerra of the San Antonio Food Bank writes the Feeding Hope column in every issue of Edible San Antonio. His goal is to spotlight our food economy from different perspectives, particularly that of those in need.
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