Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado finished construction and opened a state-of-the-art warehouse in Colorado Springs in January of 2009. A key component for a hunger-free future for the families in our region, the facility doubles our food storage capacity and effectively increases the amount of food we can receive, store and efficiently deliver.
The new facility includes:
- More than 40,000 square feet of warehouse space for food: more than double our former capacity
- A 9,000 square foot cooler/freezer: four times the capacity of our former location
- Improved access to healthy produce, meat and dairy products for our member organizations
- 35 feet of pallet racking space at the tallest point in the warehouse - saving operational costs by storing food up instead of out
- A larger repack room, allowing volunteer groups to work on multiple projects at once
- A larger shopping area and covered loading area for our member organizations
- A community board room available for use by groups and organizations during regular business hours
- The capacity to operate on wind power for the next two years
The new warehouse is LEED* Silver certified. This rating is based on construction techniques in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The facility's green construction ultimately reduces Care and Share's long-term utility costs, incorporates sustainable practices and provides employees with a healthy workplace.
Care and Share's LEED projects include:
Exterior:
- Using recycled materials
- Waste management
- Water efficient landscaping
- Bike storage
- Public transportation
- Designated parking areas for hybrid cars and those who carpool
Interior:
- Natural light
- Concrete flooring
- Increased ventilation
- Low flow water
- Showers and changing rooms for employees
The new facility includes three gardens on-site. Care and Share has partnered closely with Pikes Peak Urban Gardens to develop best practices for our gardens and to encourage volunteers and donors to grow gardens in their own neighborhoods and communities.
*The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the nationally recognized benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
