(WNY News Now) – Construction has officially begun on FeedMore WNY’s new regional headquarters, a project set to significantly enhance food distribution and support services for those in need across Western New York.
Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the start of construction for FeedMore WNY’s new expansion project that will address the nonprofit’s dire space constraints, enabling it to strengthen and grow its programs and build brighter futures for Western New Yorkers of all ages experiencing food insecurity and joblessness. The total project cost is not to exceed $107 million. FeedMore WNY is a nonprofit regional food bank and meal-delivery provider that supports nearly 400 pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and other hunger-relief agencies throughout Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. FeedMore WNY also serves older adults and people with disabilities through its prepared meal services and provides free workforce development to people with high barriers to employment, along with other targeted nutrition programs. The new campus and facility in the Town of Hamburg will create 25 new jobs in Erie County and is expected to open in the fall of 2026.
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “With Western New Yorkers facing increasingly higher food costs, I’m proud to stand alongside Governor Hochul to help ensure thousands of families have access to the healthy, nutritious food they need to thrive. Governor Hochul’s strategic support of FeedMore WNY’s urgently needed new distribution center is driving the project forward and reinforcing New York State’s commitment to ensuring tens of thousands of people will have access to fresh and high-quality food for the long-term.”
The number of people served annually has already exceeded FeedMore WNY’s 10-year growth projections. In 2023, FeedMore WNY served nearly 142,500 individuals and provided enough food for more than 16 million meals. Between the rapid growth of program participants and the increased demand for services, the existing FeedMore WNY facilities are operating far beyond their capacity. The nonprofit is renting or borrowing nearly 30,000 square feet of freezer, cooler, and dry storage space, and there is no room to hire additional staff or grow programs. In the past couple of years, FeedMore WNY had to turn away roughly 1.5 million pounds of food donations annually because they could not be stored or repacked safely.
Tara A. Ellis, President and CEO of FeedMore WNY said, “FeedMore WNY works tirelessly to provide nutritious food, vital resources and brighter futures to our Western New York neighbors of all ages experiencing food insecurity, but we cannot not effectively continue our mission amid the critical capacity constraints of our existing facilities. We are immensely grateful for the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the state of New York for leading the charge to create FeedMore WNY’s larger, unified campus that will enable us to alleviate hunger and tackle root causes of food insecurity throughout Western New York – today and for generations to come.”
The new 74-acre campus at 4832 Camp Road is located roughly at the geographic center of FeedMore WNY’s four-county service area and is ideal for efficient centralized distribution of food. The 197,700-square-foot-facility increases the warehouse space, increases commercial kitchen capacity, expands its workforce development program called RISE (Readying Individuals for Success and Employment), adds dedicated clean rooms to repack donated human and pet food, and provides space to expand feeding programs, as well as creates capacity to increase staff size by approximately 25 percent and volunteer hours by 50 percent.
See the site plan of new regional headquarters here and renderings here.
ESD is administering $24 million from the State’s Special Capital Appropriation fund for FeedMore WNY’s expansion. FeedMore WNY also received a $5 million award from the New York Power Authority.
New York Power Authority Chairman and Western New York resident John R. Koelmel said, “NYPA is proud to support FeedMore, a firm dedicated to ending hunger in Western New York. In May, the NYPA board approved a $5 million funding award to support the construction of this new regional facility that will aid New Yorkers in Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties facing food insecurity.”
FeedMore WNY has been a critical partner in New York’s efforts to combat hunger and fight food insecurity as a food bank participating in the Nourish NY and New York Food for New York Families programs. These are some of the initiatives in an array of programs implemented by New York State to build a more resilient food system. New York continues to support several groundbreaking programs that focus on improving access to locally grown foods through its 2025 Budget with a number of programs and initiatives, including the enhanced FreshConnect Fresh2You initiative, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs and the recently announced increased benefit for WIC participants, the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grants Programs, and more.
Learn about the Department’s programs and initiatives focused on providing new markets for farmers, increasing food access to underserved communities, and building healthier communities.
State Senator Patrick M. Gallivan said, “A new centralized facility will allow FeedMore to better address food insecurity among our neighbors and to meet the needs of individuals and families across Western New York for years to come. I thank the many donors and community partners who have joined with federal, state and local governments in making this project a reality. I look forward to coming back for the grand opening in 2026.”
Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “FeedMore WNY’s new headquarters in Hamburg will massively enhance the organization’s capacity and strengthen its ability to provide critical support to local food pantries in the event of weather-related emergencies. The move and upgrade arrive at a time when hundreds of thousands of residents across New York are facing hunger and food insecurity, and as our state’s emergency food providers are facing escalating pressures as a result of supply chain struggles. During my time as a state legislator, I’ve been able to pass a state budget that secured $50 million in funding toward the Nourish New York program — $4.5 million of which was directly received by FeedMore WNY. I look forward to continuing a strong partnership with FeedMore as we look to address the root causes of food insecurity and undernourishment.”
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, “FeedMore WNY is taking a big step forward with this expansion, a step that will benefit thousands of people around Western New York. The food and support that FeedMore provides touches lives every day in our community and is often the difference between having something to eat or going hungry. To say their services are critical is an understatement, and Erie County is proud to provide funding to assist in this much-needed project, greatly increasing FeedMore’s size and outreach while relocating to a more efficient and centrally located site. The need for FeedMore’s services and programs is real and is growing, so I thank all who supported this expansion and look forward to its completion.”
Town of Hamburg Supervisor Randy Hoak said, “The Town of Hamburg is excited to count FeedMore WNY as one of our newest neighbors. We have enjoyed a robust partnership with FeedMore in meeting the needs of older adults and people of all ages who experience food insecurity. We look forward to continued partnership and the success of this vital organization.”
About FeedMore WNY
FeedMore WNY offers dignity, hope and a brighter future by providing nutritious food, friendship and skills training to its Western New York neighbors in need. Through its food bank distribution center and partner hunger-relief agencies, as well as its home-delivered meal program, other targeted feeding programs and RISE workforce development training, FeedMore WNY alleviates hunger and assists community members of all ages throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. More information can be found at www.feedmorewny.org.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.