Foodlink | Capital Projects | Infrastructure Improvements

Nourishing Tomorrow

Capital Improvements to fuel our operations, programs, services & Impact

Foodlink is embarking on phased infrastructure and capacity-building projects at a time when requests for food assistance have reached record levels. Over the next 3 years, we aim to upgrade our Mt. Read Boulevard facility, as well as our community farm on Lexington Avenue.

These projects enable us to increase our capacity to serve, respond to the needs of our community, and build access to culturally diverse, nutritious, foods that reduce health disparities in the most efficient and collaborative way possible.

Addressing Challenges

Today, more than 150,000 people in our region remain food insecure, according to recent reports.
Visits to emergency food pantries and meal programs are back on the rise. Foodlink’s network saw a 36% increase in requests for food assistance in 2024, compared to the year prior.
In the past 36 months, we have increased dollars spent on purchased food by 259% to keep up with the demand.
Foodlink’s heightened service level has led to significant wear and tear on our physical location, refrigeration, ovens, parking lots, trucks, equipment — and now threatens our ability to continue to meet the growing demand.

Complete December data not yet available.

Project Highlights

Focus Areas: 2025-2027

Cooler Expansion

Foodlink serves as the hub of the emergency food system for hundreds of organizations(food pantries, meal programs, shelters, etc.) across a 10-county service area. After years of running refrigerated tractor-trailers in our parking lot to supplement our cold-storage space, we are investing in a new, energy-efficient commercial cooler for our food bank.

↓ The Impact ↓

The cooler will lead to a 69% increase in cold-storage space, and will efficiently store up to 420,000 pounds of perishable food at any given time. Our network of food pantries, meal programs, and Pop-up Pantry distributions — which collectively serve thousands — will see an increase in healthier foods available to their clients.

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Farm Revitalization

The Foodlink Community Farm is the largest urban farm in the Rochester region. For more than a decade, we have invested in a formerly vacant lot to create a growing space for low-income and new American community members. In the years ahead, we will installed more raised bed and construct a new Edible Education Center and greenhouse.

↓ The Impact ↓

Our expansion plans will allow us to host an additional 50 families and grow roughly 5,000 additional pounds of food. A proposed 3,000-square-foot greenhouse will enable year-round growing, and a 2,800-square-foot Edible Education Center will enable us to host workshops, events, and educational programming for local schools.

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Facility Upgrades

Other upgrades at Foodlink's Mt. Read Boulevard headquarters will improve operations for its Community Kitchen (new dry-storage space & ovens) and the Curbside Market (new operating space & loading docks). Both will benefit from a newly paved back lot and exterior lighting improvements to increase sustainability and safety measures.

↓ The Impact ↓

This investment will allow us to triple storage for kitchen dry goods, and reduce unit costs when ordering product. Our new commercial hoods and expediting ovens will improve the quality and integrity of our meals. The Curbside Market’s expanded operating space improves product quality and operational efficiency.

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How to Help

You can support this work by making a donation, or reaching out to learn more. Please contact Beth Hershel, Director of Development & Community Engagement, to learn more about our progress, and/or request a tour of our facility.

Fundraising Goal: $15 million

$$$ Raised 63%