Keystone Community Food Center now open
After almost five years of planning, fundraising, construction and dreaming, Keystone Community Services has opened their new Keystone Community Food Center (KCFC) at 1800 University Ave. W.
The KCFC is bringing all of Keystone’s food shelf programs, including the Foodmobile, food shelf grocery delivery program and resource navigation services under one roof. The new building features a large food market to give participants an efficient and dignified shopping experience, a warehouse to increase capacity to store and distribute food, a lobby and Community Room which will be gathering spaces and places for expanded programming, a three-bay garage, giving space to expand Foodmobile and neighborhood-based community food distribution and volunteer space to expand capacity to engage volunteers who keep Keystone running.
While the building still has a few finishing touches Keystone hopes to complete this spring, like a large mural and some exterior upgrades, they are open for accepting donations and serving their community.
Back in 2019, Keystone knew they needed more space to store and distribute food. Through a community engagement process, where they heard from over 700 members of their community, the idea for the new food center was born.
Since then, their community has given more than $11 million to support their vision of the KCFC for purchasing and upgrading the building.
Once the KCFC is fully operational, Keystone said they will be able to serve over 4,500 households per month.
Shopping hours are: Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Wednesday: closed in the morning, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. and Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Donations are being accepted and are welcomed during business hours on Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and on Wednesday evenings until 6:00 p.m. Learn more: visit keystoneservices.org/opening-doors.
