Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank and Community Services will celebrate the grand opening of its welcoming, efficient new building at 4303 Burnham Drive with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 12. The public is invited.
“The community has been wonderfully generous and supportive, and we’re eager to show people what they have helped us accomplish,” says Amy Gartlan, building oversight committee member and co-chair of the successful $8 million Building the Future capital campaign. “Thanks to our generous donors and supporters, we are moving into the building debt-free.”
The 11,595-square-foot facility is just 376 away from its rented location in the Eagles building. With plenty of room for social distancing, people will once again be able to “shop” for their own groceries and select gently used donated clothing and small household goods. Commercial-grade refrigeration and freezer units will expand the availability of produce and other fresh foods. There will be private offices for confidential conversations and social service meetings, plus a children’s corner where kids can safely play while their parents shop.
Food donors will notice an exterior window for drop-offs, and a covered loading dock for larger deliveries. Silver LEED certification means the energy efficient new building will be environmentally friendly and economical to operate. It sits on land secured by a long-term $1/year lease.
It will take volunteers several days—Friday, July 8 through Monday, July 11—to move everything from the old building to the new. “We’ll use the weekend to minimize the number of days we are closed,” said Board President Ron Coen. The new building will open for service at 9:30, Wednesday, July 13—barely a year after the ceremonial groundbreaking.
“Completing a project of this size and complexity on schedule was a tall order,” said Coen, giving full credit to Washington Patriot Construction and other local contractors, along with Ratcliffe Gagliano Architects. “We are excited about the difference this building will make in how well we can serve our clients.”
GHP FISH is a nonprofit organization that has been helping neighbors in need since 1976. With dedicated support from the community and more than 200 volunteers, it helps Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula residents in 11 zip codes on their journeys to self-sufficiency with food and other assistance.
For more information, go to the GHP FISH website and click on Our New Building.