WATSONVILLE — At its operations in Watsonville on February 11, Second Harvest Food Bank dedicate its lobby to builder and capital campaign donor Barry Swenson Builder.
The dedication marks the final step of a ten-year journey beginning in the mid-2000s when the need for Second Harvest’s services outgrew its capacity. “We were having to regularly turn away truck-loads of fresh produce that our agricultural partners were willing to provide, simply because we did not have the capacity to store and distribute that volume of fresh food,” says Second Harvest CEO, Willy Elliott-McCrea.
Accommodating that volume would require expanding their warehouse and adding a larger cooler, freezer, and loading dock. And that would take a sizeable investment.
Second Harvest began a capital campaign, and development and construction firm Barry Swenson Builder stepped up, providing both major funding for the expansion as well as construction of the loading docks and warehouse expansion.
“Off-loading a truck used to take 45 minutes,” Elliott-McCrea recalled, “and with the new docks we can do it in less than five minutes.” Thanks to the expansion, Second Harvest is now distributing over two million more pounds of fresh produce per year than they were able to previously.
“They [Barry Swenson Builder] really were instrumental in helping us reach our goals for our facilities,” Elliott-McCrea explained. “Building on our site was a challenge, because of the very high water table. But they understood our need, and working with them was easy.”
Barry Swenson Builder was well prepared for such a job, having supported over 40 organizations throughout the Central Coast and Silicon Valley either financially or through in-kind construction. In Santa Cruz alone, BSB’s expertise and assistance are part of the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, YMCA’s Camp Campbell, Walnut Ave. Women’s Center, and the United Way.
Barry, himself, is a proud supporter of many organizations including San Jose State University, the San Jose Symphony, and Rotary International. He has worked hard to ensure that the communities in which he does business are stronger, healthier places. Over the next two years Barry Swenson Builder projects will bring employment to many subcontractors in the construction field and add an astounding $60 million into the tri-county economy.
One of Second Harvest’s goals is to ensure that no one’s life opportunities are limited due to hunger or malnutrition, and thanks to the critical support of Barry Swenson Builder, Second Harvest is well equipped to continue to feed the community and feed hope for years to come. Today marks the end of the multi-year process, Second Harvest is grateful to all of the Capital Campaign supporters that made this transformation possible.
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Founded in 1972, Second Harvest Food Bank was the first food bank in California and the second in the nation. Its mission is to end hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. Its network of 200 local agencies and programs feeds 55,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month. For every dollar donated, it provides four healthy meals. “Together we fight hunger all year long.” www.thefoodbank.org