Construction Update #3: Hanging Drywall & Volunteer Opportunities
There’s been so much progress since our last update, both onsite and behind the scenes, all to open the doors to the new Food Club & Opportunity Hub this fall!
This week, teams have finalized much of the interior electrical, and started to hang drywall to more clearly define the flexible spaces at our future location, designed to facilitate opportunity, collaboration, and the radically welcoming spirit of our efforts. Check out the photo gallery on this page (and keep an eye out for social posts too)!
We are optimistic about our progress, and can’t wait to begin serving alongside our community, for our community’s benefit.
Speaking of which - now is the time to let us know about your volunteer interest! Greeters, stockers, checkout “cashiers”, food sorters, and so many additional roles will need to be filled, at far greater hours than our current food pantry offers. Groups from work or faith communities, families, individuals, and everyone from students to seniors are invited to contribute to credibly enhance the accessibility of healthy food. Please, let us know what you’d be most interested in, and the general times you might be available this fall here.
No commitments, but it will go a long way to help us gauge both interest and capacity, with the goal of extending hours, six days a week. You can complete the Volunteer Interest Form right now, or contact us at volunteer@hzfoodclub.org with questions.
Finally, a quick invite, and update, on our progress to raise the final 10% of funds to complete construction. If you haven’t heard, June is the month to Double Your Gift - with every dollar donated matched - to make twice the impact. Thanks to a $150,000 matching gift from a generous local donor, donations of every amount through the end of June 2021 will go twice as far in supporting healthy food access, opportunities, and community-powered efforts.
Please consider joining hundreds of community supporters who have already donated and pledged nearly $4m here.
Here’s a quick summary of our planned timelines:
March 9 - Demolition and construction begins!
April/May - Furniture and fixtures plans are finalized and ordered; internal construction and parking lot renovations begin
May/Jun - Public campaign launches to spread the word on Food Club, with a big effort to reach our full campaign goal of $4.25M!
Jun/Aug/Sept - Volunteer and member recruitment promotion and events
Sept - Construction completed; community day(s) tbd
October - Open for service
We’re proud to be working with so many of you to provide this incredible new resource so well aligned with our community’s present needs. Stay tuned for more updates to come, and help spread the word! It takes a movement!
On October 25th, we celebrated with our community as we launched Food Club. After years of planning, and a community-wide campaign joined by hundreds of individuals, businesses, foundations, and churches, this new cornerstone of community service welcomed its first guests.