Philabundance is the largest hunger relief organization in the Delaware Valley, serving over 130 food kitchens and shelters. This facility is located in a renovated warehouse building in the Food Distribution Center in South Philadelphia. The building and site were selected with help from the architects.
The site offers warehouse space, loading docks for shipping and receiving, a community meeting and education room with a demonstration kitchen, and administrative offices. Truck drivers, operations staff and development staff cross paths and meet casually in a brightly colored, skylit lobby.
Significant funding came from the Nonprofits Energy Savings Investment Program (NESIP). The team specified energy conserving strategies and materials, from sustainable and recycled sources, with the goal of reducing long range operating costs and providing healthy indoor air quality. The architects were hired by NESIP to evaluate cost savings after the project was completed.
In-kind gifts came from many sources. Cabinets for the staff room and demonstration kitchen were donated after a story was placed in the Inquirer. When a major bank relocated, vintage Steelcase furniture was available for the taking. The budget was very tight, yet the deletion of some standard office building materials, like suspended ceilings, actually gave the project its stylishly industrial character.
