Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN) has obtained the last bit of funding needed to break ground on a project that will expand its Verona facility by adding 12,000 square feet of warehouse space, The Verona Press reports. The $1.6 million in funding for the “Last Build” project was announced by Gov. Tony Evers earlier this month and comes from a $50 million Non-State Grant program supporting community development and infrastructure improvements.
The expansion project is set to:
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Double BPNN’s food pantry capacity, allowing for the distribution of up to 4 million pounds of food each year;
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Enhance the variety and quantity of noperishable foods and produce with the addition of more cold storage;
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Create private spaces for on-site social workers to meet with clients experiencing crises;
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Provide areas for partners to conduct services such as health screenings, vaccine clinics, financial education, and more;
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Add a loading dock and designated space for food sorting and inspection to improve delivering and receiving; and
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Increase productivity with more room for collaboration among operations, financial, fundraising, and administrative functions.
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BPNN has also received public grants from Housing & Urban Development and Dane County; grants from the Alliant Energy Foundation, Compeer Financial Foundation, Evjue Foundation, Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust, Roots & Wings Foundation, and Subzero Corporate Foundation; and private donations.
The organization is still accepting donations toward the project.
