A small but determined group of community leaders is working to change the way food insecurity is addressed in Owensboro-Daviess County. The Green River Community Food Warehouse (GRCFW) is leading the charge to construct a temperature-controlled warehouse capable of storing large quantities of donated food — an effort they say will significantly improve access to fresh and nutritious meals for those in need.
According to Feeding America, more than 15,000 individuals in Owensboro and Daviess County struggle with food insecurity, equating to nearly 1.4 million meals needed per month to meet the demand. Steve Innes, a founding member of GRCFW, says the issue isn’t necessarily a lack of available food but rather an infrastructure problem.
“The irony is there’s plenty of food out there, and it’s healthy — fresh produce, proteins from local poultry farms — but we don’t have a centralized place to store it in large quantities,” Innes said. “If a company has a truckload of surplus food, they need to be able to make one phone call and know that it can be stored safely and distributed efficiently. Right now, that doesn’t exist in Owensboro.”
A growing need, a strategic solution
GRCFW traces its roots back to 2019 when United Way launched a Hunger Relief Steering Committee to examine food insecurity in the region. From that effort, community leaders formed an access team dedicated to studying the logistics of food distribution. They created a database of local pantries and soup kitchens, identifying key challenges that hindered food accessibility.
The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the vulnerabilities in the system. As emergency food distribution ramped up, it became clear that many pantries lacked the cold storage capacity to accept larger donations. In response, United Way helped secure $2,000 grants for 30 local pantries and kitchens to purchase refrigerators and freezers. However, even with these improvements, the ability to store bulk donations remained inadequate.
That realization led Innes and his team — including Rebecca Baird of the Ohio County Food Pantry, Doug Eberhart, Andrea Robinson, and Jerry Morris — to begin planning for a larger-scale solution: a dedicated food warehouse that could store pallet-sized donations of perishable and nonperishable food items.
Addressing a critical infrastructure gap
Owensboro is one of the only cities of its size in the region without a centralized food warehouse, Innes said. While places such as Ohio County, Elizabethtown, and Evansville have established food storage and distribution centers, Owensboro has had to rely on smaller, independent operations. This often means that large food donations, such as surplus chicken from Perdue Farms, are rerouted elsewhere rather than staying in the community.
“We know how the corporate side works,” Innes said. “Companies don’t have time to make multiple calls to figure out where a donation should go. If we don’t have the capacity to take it immediately, we lose it.”
The proposed 20,000-square-foot facility would include refrigeration and freezer storage for proteins and fresh produce, as well as dry storage space. At full capacity, it could accommodate up to 20 truckloads of food per month, significantly increasing the amount of donated food available to local food pantries and meal programs.
A community effort
The warehouse will operate as a distribution hub rather than a direct-to-consumer food bank. It will provide food at no cost to local pantries, eliminating the logistical hurdles many small organizations face when trying to accept large donations.
GRCFW is in partnership dicsussions with Tri-State Food Bank, the regional Feeding America affiliate, with hopes that Tri-State will eventually take over warehouse operations. However, there are still challenges to navigate. Many local food pantries do not meet Feeding America’s operational standards, which means they do not currently receive food from Tri-State. The goal, Innes said, is to serve all pantries and kitchens, regardless of their affiliation.
“This isn’t about replacing existing food distribution efforts — it’s about strengthening them,” he said. “We want to make sure no one is left out because they don’t meet certain organizational requirements.”
The warehouse could also serve as an emergency response center, storing bottled water and other essential supplies for disaster relief efforts.
Funding the vision
Innes said building the warehouse will require a total investment of $4.35 million, which includes construction costs, refrigeration equipment, and three years of operating expenses to ensure sustainability. So far, GRCFW has secured approximately $1.2 million in commitments, with major contributions from local donors, businesses, and foundations.
The City of Owensboro was the first to commit public funding, pledging $100,000. Owensboro Health, the Hager Educational Foundation, and private donors — including Innes and his team — have also contributed.
However, securing the remaining $3 million remains a challenge. Many potential donors are waiting for larger commitments before stepping forward, creating a fundraising bottleneck, Innes said.
“A lot of private entities say, ‘If someone else does it, let us know, and we’ll consider it,’” he said. “We need a major public investment to get over that hurdle.”
GRCFW has engaged city and county officials in discussions about potential funding partnerships. Innes recently presented the project to the Daviess County Fiscal Court, making a direct appeal for county support.
The human impact
While the project involves complex logistics and funding challenges, the ultimate goal is simple: ensuring that no one in Owensboro goes hungry.
Hunger often remains hidden in the community, Innes noted. Unlike homelessness, which is more visible, food insecurity is a struggle that many quietly endure.
“These people aren’t waving flags or standing on street corners,” he said. “They’re working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and children who rely on school meals. They’re just trying to get by.”
At the Ohio County Food Pantry, where Rebecca Baird and her husband distribute food, the need is clear. On distribution days, cars begin lining up two hours before food is handed out — not because supplies are limited, but because people are desperate to ensure they receive their share.
“It blew my mind,” Innes said. “It just shows how deep the need is.”
A call to action
With fundraising efforts ongoing, GRCFW is calling on businesses, community organizations, and individuals to step up and support the initiative. Whether through financial contributions, advocacy, or spreading awareness, every effort helps move the project closer to reality.
“This isn’t just a private issue; it’s a public one,” Innes said. “If we come together as a community, we can make sure no one has to go hungry.”
For more information on how to support the Green River Community Food Warehouse, email Innes at [email protected].
