Northern Illinois Food Bank is First New-Construction Food Bank to Receive LEED® Gold Certification

Energy Savings Allows Food Bank to Provide More Food to the Hungry

GENEVA, Ill., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Northern Illinois Food Bank's West Suburban Center (www.SolveHungerToday.org) is the first new-construction food bank in the country to receive LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, announced food bank President and CEO Pete Schaefer today. This certification illustrates how a non-profit, specifically a food bank, can realize an energy savings of 25 to 30 percent over a traditional energy spend.  The savings allows the organization to further its mission of feeding hungry people throughout northern Illinois. 

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"We are honored to receive this prestigious designation. We're even more pleased that as a result of these cost-saving measures, we'll be able to provide 300,000 additional meals for our hungry neighbors this year," said Schaefer. Northern Illinois Food Bank provides food to more than 60,000 people each week across 13 Illinois counties through a network of 600 partner feeding programs.

A variety of sustainable and energy-saving elements, including a white roof, air-cooled heat pumps, motion-controlled lighting, high-performance glass, and recycled products are among the key features that helped the food bank attain this prestigious designation.  Bike racks and preferred parking for carpooling and energy-efficient vehicles encourage alternative transportation.  The building's most significant energy-saving feature utilizes a heat-recovery operation that takes energy generated by an expansive cooler system and uses it to heat the warehouse. 

In another attempt to provide more food to hungry neighbors, the food bank chose refurbished office furnishings, saving $15,000, the equivalent of 90,000 meals, not to mention hundreds of pounds of furnishings from being relegated to a landfill.  

The new 147,000 square-foot building, located in Geneva, Ill., opened last fall. This space essentially doubled the size of its former location.

Other companies joining the food bank team included:  Ryan Companies, builder; Jeffrey Flemming, AIA, LEED-AP, NCARB, architect; Larson Engineering, Inc., civil, structural and mechanical engineer; and Owner Services Group, Inc. More information is available at http://solvehungertoday.org/NewsAndEvents/News/leed%20news.aspx.

Northern Illinois Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is a non-profit organization providing food to hungry people in 13 Illinois counties through 600 network partners. Last year, Northern Illinois Food Bank distributed the equivalent of 29 million meals. Find out how you can Volunteer – Donate – Get Involved at www.SolveHungerToday.org.

Contact: Donna Lake
Northern Illinois Food Bank
312-342-5827

SOURCE Northern Illinois Food Bank