Prodisee Pantry marked a major step in its expansion efforts on Thursday, May 4, with the opening of a new freezer room at its Spanish Fort facility, a project aimed at increasing access to healthy food for families across Baldwin County.

Community leaders, donors and pantry supporters gathered May 14 at the nonprofit's headquarters at 9315 Spanish Fort Boulevard. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the addition of the 24-foot-by-24-foot freezer room. During the event, staff moved the first pallets of food into the new space and recognized the organizations and community members who helped fund the project.

The freezer room was made possible through support from the Shawn Esfahani Foundation, Gulf Coast RC&D, Kohl's, Lennar, Cox Family Foundation and local community donors.

The expansion triples Prodisee Pantry's frozen food storage capacity, allowing the organization to accept and store larger quantities of healthy frozen foods that are often available at lower bulk prices. Pantry leaders said the added space will help meet growing demand as food insecurity continues to affect families throughout Baldwin County.

"This freezer room greatly increases our frozen and cold capacity that means fresh produce, milk, eggs, meats and more for a growing number of Baldwin County's food insecure!" Deann Servos, executive director of Prodisee Pantry, told Gulf Coast Media.

The nonprofit said access to healthy food remains one of its core values, with the expanded storage capacity expected to improve availability of nutritious items including produce, dairy products and protein options.

"This is the first step in our expansion plans. This freezer room is critical to increasing our capacity. The next step is building a second facility in Stockton," Servos said.

The project also supports the organization's broader growth plans, including the development of Prodisee Pantry North, a second facility designed to provide North Baldwin residents with easier access to food assistance and connections to other social services.

Prodisee Pantry serves families across Baldwin County through food distribution programs and community support initiatives. More information is available at www.prodiseepantry.org.