(St. Paul-MN) North Country Food Bank is one step closer to opening their new facility thanks in part to funding included in Senate Bonding proposal, released May 9. The plan authorizes $3 million in capital funding to allow North Country Food Bank to proceed with the new construction of a 30,000 square foot food back facility in Crookston.

“The impact of the North Country Food Bank’s fight against hunger is extensive across northwestern Minnesotan communities,” said Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks). “Having visited their current food bank, its striking to see how much they do from an unassuming old creamery. I’m excited to see the project get underway and am sure this will ease the burden and expense of getting food to those in need.”

Currently, the North Country Food Bank operates out of leased space, that was not designed to manage as large or complex of an operation as they have. This has resulted in significant limitations on dry and cold food storage, truck access, the inability to conduct product repackaging, and more.

North Country Food Bank was established in 1983 and is located in Crookston, MN.  Today, it serves 21 counties in northwest and west central Minnesota and part of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Last year alone, North Country operated programs that distributed over 7.4 million pounds of food to people in need.  Most local charitable organizations in North Country’s service area, including food shelves, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior community centers, after-school programs.