Naples food distribution facility opens

Meals of Hope has officially opened an 18,000-square-foot regional food distribution warehouse in Naples. 

The facility, which includes 9,000 square feet of cold storage, triples the organization’s capacity to store and distribute perishable foods such as milk, eggs, produce, and proteins. 

The warehouse at 4176 Mercantile Ave. supplies 14 food pantries and partner organizations, feeding more than 4,000 families. 

The organization held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting last week but has been using the facility as its main distribution warehouse since late summer. 

The project was funded through its Hunger to Hope Campaign, which is aiming to raise $4.5 million to cover the building purchase, buildout, equipment, and cold storage infrastructure. A spokesperson, in an email, says Meals of Hope has raised more than $2.4 million so far. 

Normally, the fundraising would have been completed before buying a facility, but the “opportunity to purchase this property came unexpectedly.” 

According to Collier County property records, Meals of Hope paid $6.5 million in June.