The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank announced Thursday, Feb. 20, that it's well on the way to funding a project that includes a new warehouse facility in Canton and an expansion of its Akron facility.

Officials made the announcement at news conference Thursday morning, which also was livestreamed on social media.

To pay for the projects, the foodbank is in the midst of an $11.5 million capital campaign, of which it already raised $8.5 million, according to a news release. The campaign, called Growing for Good, is separate from the foodbank's annual Harvest for Hunger campaign.

The foodbank, which serves people and works with hunger-relief partner organizations in eight counties, is at capacity at its 83,000-square-foot Akron facility, president and CEO Dan Flowers said at the news conference. That means the organization can't grow to meet the area's hunger needs or form new partnerships with hunger-relief organizations.

"There is a long runway of available food for us to bring here into this community, but we need to have more space in order to do it," Flowers said.

The new 40,000-square-foot Canton facility, planned for 1365 Cherry Ave. NE, will include room for dry good and cold storage, a food pantry and even community space, officials said. Staffing needs have yet to be determined.

The new site will allow the foodbank to increase capacity, distribute more meals to the community and serve more local charities, Flowers said. It will also be closer to organizations working with the foodbank, so they can save time and fuel.

Expansion at the Akron site on Opportunity Parkway, which opened in 2007 and currently employs 80 full-time workers, will increase the cooler and freezer storage space and relocate the distribution dock area.

The combined projects will increase food distribution and allow the foodbank to reach more communities by engaging in 200 to 300 more local charities, Flowers said.

While the foodbank has raised significant funds with support from the likes of the FirstEnergy Foundation, the Hoover Foundation and the J.M. Smucker Co. — which on Thursday announced a $1 million donation to the campaign — officials stressed the need for continued community support to make the projects a reality.

"The Foodbank envisions a world where there's enough food for everyone and there is easy access to healthy and affordable foods for our community members. Hunger is a solvable problem — and we have the answer," Flowers in the release. "This campaign is a significant investment in our community's future. With your collective support, we will change the history of hunger relief."

In 2019, the foodbank delivered 32.4 million pounds of food to about 500 local charities, providing about 25.2 million meals, Flowers said.