OMAHA, NE — Darland Construction has partnered with Food Bank for the Heartland to build their new, nearly 105,000-square-foot packing and distribution center. This facility, featuring a Butler pre-engineered metal building, will replace the organization's current location, which they have outgrown due to a significant increase in demand for emergency food assistance.

Since 2018, Food Bank for the Heartland has experienced a dramatic rise in the number of households it serves, more than quadrupling its reach. This unprecedented need, fueled by economic uncertainties, has necessitated a larger and more efficient facility to meet the growing demand for emergency food assistance in the region.

The new facility will offer expanded cold storage capabilities and a significantly larger Protein Repack Room, increasing its capacity to 4,300 square feet — a 514 percent increase from the current space. This expansion will improve the Food Bank's ability to serve 93 counties in Nebraska and western Iowa and position it as a regional protein partner, enabling it to provide services to other food banks in the area.

The new building will be more than 40 percent larger than the current facility, providing increased space for volunteers to repackage food donations efficiently. The expanded parking lot will accommodate the large number of volunteers who contribute their time each week to support the Food Bank's mission.