Construction Begins on Major Facility Expansion
The groundbreaking marks the beginning of construction on a 6,500 square foot addition to the existing building which was originally built in the mid-1960s. The addition will have new space for the agency’s emergency food pantry, an elevator, a new entrance and Welcome Center, and a community room.
RDA Group are the architects for the project. Fender Construction was selected as the general contractor. The timeline for completion of the project is approximately 14 months.
Funding for the project is a result of the agency’s five-year Generations Campaign begun in 2021 to celebrate Catholic Social Services’ 100 years of service to the community. The campaign has four priorities: strengthening the Annual Fund, investing in three strategic program areas, attracting and developing a great workforce, and making significant facility improvements.
“Catholic Social Services is committed to our neighborhood and community,” said Laura Roesch, CEO. “Our location at 922 Riverview Avenue has been ideal for the past 50 years, but we need space to meet our current and future program needs.”
The new pantry will include covered access for food deliveries, creating safer unloading areas for staff and volunteers as well as protecting the food products from weather conditions.
“Hunger continues to challenge our community,” said Roesch. “Our pantry served over 10,500 individuals last year. We are grateful for the opportunity to expand our building to meet the needs of the people we serve, our staff and volunteers, and all who visit our campus.
