Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Access to healthy meals is a growing issue for food-insecure households across the state, but the Greater Boston Food Bank’s mega-sized refrigerator is stocked with fresh produce to help change that.
Over one in three households struggled with food insecurity last year, according to the latest food access report by the GBFB.
GBFB Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Schondek said the pandemic strained this already burdensome issue for families struggling to access food. She said the food bank’s clients have specifically been asking for more fresh food, so the food bank needed more cold space.
“We’ve seen housing costs increase, we’ve seen utility costs increase,” Schondek said. “We’ve seen basic rising prices throughout the state.”
Inside of the Greater Boston Food Bank's mega-sized fridge. Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
The need prompted GBFB to launch Project COLD (Creating Optimal Logistics for Distribution), funded by state and philanthropic funds, which aims to fill gaps in how fresh food is distributed in the state.
Schondek said the fridge used to be a section of regular warehouse space, but was retrofitted into a gigantic walk-in cooler.
The $5 million and nine-month-long installation process was worth the investment, Schondek said. When the fridge is fully loaded, it can hold 400 pallets, which is about 800,000 pounds of fresh food at a time.
Red peppers, napa cabbage and bok choy are just some of the fresh foods found in this super-sized chiller. Some of that food comes from local farms. Despite it being loaded up, Schondek said every pound of food counts. She said all the food is accounted for, so even one missing package means that someone cannot eat.
Schondek mentioned that while the GBFB’s cold storage space now meets the rising demand, they still need more cold food donations.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.