The Worcester Regional Food Hub will move into and begin operations at its new Union Station headquarters in June, according to director Shon Rainford.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the headquarters' grand opening will be held on Friday, May 23, he told MassLive on Monday.
The Food Hub's headquarters will feature five commercial kitchens and state-of-the-art amenities for food businesses, the director said. The new space will also increase the hub's capacity to distribute food from local farmers to school children, hospitals, colleges, food pantries and markets throughout Massachusetts.
The Food Hub will move to Union Station from the Greendale People's Church, where they have stayed for six and a half years, said Rainford.
"We are extremely excited to be opening this new food production and distribution facility which will provide opportunity for so many in Worcester and throughout Massachusetts," Rainford said. "This would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts in both the private and public sectors. We want to thank our friends at the Greendale People's Church for providing us a home for the past six and a half years."
The headquarters will be open to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, Rainford said.
Launched in 2015, Worcester Regional Food Hub's mission is to increase local food access throughout Worcester County by connecting local farmers and entrepreneurs to schools and other markets while giving businesses kitchen space to prepare food.
A total of $4.5 million for the headquarters construction was announced in 2022 and is funded by congressional earmarks, state grants, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), MassDevelopment's Collaborative Workspace Program, and the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts.