In 2019, the dream for a new Community Food Center was born during a community engagement process that included input from over 700 community members. With guidance from our community, Keystone has been on a journey to expand food support and resources for neighbors in Ramsey County.
Knowing we needed more space to store and distribute food, Keystone searched for an affordable location that would give us space to design a building that fit our needs and vision. After an extensive search and with early lead gifts, we purchased the buildings located at 1800 University Avenue West in St. Paul in 2020.
Over the last few years, Keystone has been planning, designing, and raising funds to make the Keystone Community Food Center (KCFC) possible! Our community has generously given nearly $11M to help open the new center! The KCFC is bringing all of Keystone’s food shelf programs, including the Foodmobile, food shelf grocery delivery program, and resource navigation services under one roof. This one location will be a hub for food support and a welcoming place for all! The new building features:
- A large food market to give participants an efficient and dignified shopping experience
- A warehouse to increase capacity to store and distribute food
- Lobby and Community Room which will be gathering spaces and places for expanded programming
- A three-bay garage, giving space to expand Foodmobile and neighborhood-based community food distribution
- Volunteer space to expand capacity to engage volunteers who keep Keystone running
With our community’s incredible and generous support for the Opening Doors to Food campaign, Keystone’s Community Food Center opened its doors in January! If you’d like more information about the new building, please visit our website and social media accounts for details and exciting news.
