Local leaders celebrated Wednesday’s opening of the new Madera County Food Bank warehouse, which will expand services and meet growing needs from the Valley floor to the mountain communities.

The 21,700 square-foot building is on a nearly four-acre site off Highway 99 at 1055 Knox Road.

Madera County Food Bank CEO Ryan McWherter said the warehouse’s large refrigerator and freezer capacity will enable it to accept more donated food. In the past, it had to turn down food donations because of limited storage.

A Madera County grant of more than half a million dollars from American Rescue Plan Act funds made the warehouse possible.

Lifeline for Thousands of Families

“The Madera County Food Bank has been a lifeline for thousands of families in our community,” said Madera County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Leticia Gonzalez.
“This new facility is a major step forward and demonstrates our commitment to supporting the food bank’s critical mission.”

Said Ryan McWherter: “We’ve needed this facility for the last seven or eight years. We’ve just outgrown our (old) place. … Now this is a great opportunity for us to be fully functional and get more product so we can feed more people.”

Since 1999, the food bank has served families in need across Madera County, including the cities of Madera and Chowchilla and the unincorporated areas. McWherter said the organization feeds 30,000 people monthly: “So, the need is pretty great.”

The food bank’s emergency food number is (559) 674-2992.