Our new Northern Virginia facility is nearing completion, with furniture arriving and final safety inspections scheduled. As we prepare to open our doors on the expanded facility in Lorton, we’ve been eager to share the new space with our long-time partners- who better to appreciate the transformation?
We invited staffers from two of our partner organizations in Northern Virginia – ACTS and ICNA – on a recent preview tour of the new facility. Their facial reactions spoke for themselves as they gazed up at the tall racks for storing food and ventured into the larger cooler and freezer.
Akmal Hassain, Outreach and Hunger Prevention Coordinator at ICNA, says he is inspired by the new building’s added capacity and efficiency, and how it will help their organization in serving a number of clients that continues to rise each month. The new facility is four times the size of the previous space, allowing for more storage and increased food variety.
“Ultimately our clients will be having more options and more food.”
– Akmal Hassain, Outreach and Hunger Prevention Coordinator, ICNA
In the past year, both organizations have seen growth in the number of neighbors they serve monthly. Shirley Couteau, Program Manager at ACTS, noted that the organization is now serving around 1,000 families a month.
Not only is there more space to store shelf-stable items to meet the need that is still rising, but the larger cooler and freezer also mean that more produce and frozen proteins will be available.
“I’m already picturing what foods I can order now.”
– Shirley Couteau, Program Manger, ACTS
In addition to the added capacity to provide more food, partners will also be able to use the expanded office space in the new building. Whether for working or meeting clients, we ensured our space is flexible and can meet everyone’s needs.
As exciting as it is to walk through the larger space, there’s another exciting milestone on the horizon. As Shirley said during the tour, “What I really can’t wait for is to see this place full of food.” We share that sentiment and can’t wait to see our facility stocked from floor to ceiling!
Want to help us provide millions more meals to those who need them? You can still join our Building Brighter Futures campaign and help us to complete the warehouse.