Foodbank of Santa Barbara County prepares to open new 50,000 sq. foot Sharehouse

GOLETA, Calif. - The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is in its final stretch of preparations to open its new Sharehouse in Goleta.
Managers of the organization say the Sharehouse is close to being ready for occupancy.
All major equipment for warehouse operations has been installed.
This includes a racking system, cooler, and freezer storage plus a newly enclosed loading dock.Â
They say these are major components that will be key in foodbank operations.
Right now, crews working on the finishing touches in the 50,000 sq. foot share house.
They are in the process of getting the team in to make it fully operational.
The new Sharehouse has the potential to store 1.2 million pounds of disaster-dedicated food.
Countywide, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County serves more than 200,000 people who are not able to afford basic needs every year.
According to the USDA, food prices have increased 25 percent during the last four years.Â
The foodbank team hopes the new Sharehouse will help address the growing need and to better respond to disasters in South County.
Directors of the foodbank say this week crews are getting ready to move food supplies into the Sharehouse.