Latham, NY – Today, Assemblymember Phil Steck (D-Colonie) joined The Regional Food Bank CEO Tom Nardacci to celebrate the grand opening of the Food Bank’s new state-of-the-art training kitchen. The project, made possible by $500,000 in capital funding Steck secured in 2023, has now come to fruition and will serve as a hub for culinary training, nutrition education, and fundraising efforts to strengthen food security in the region.

“Food insecurity remains a serious issue in our community, affecting 12% of residents, including nearly 16,000 people in the 110th Assembly District,” said Assemblymember Steck. “No one should have to go hungry, yet too many families struggle to put food on the table due to rising costs. That’s why I was proud to secure the funding necessary to help The Regional Food Bank expand its services. Now that this project has come to life, this new training kitchen will be a lasting resource to help provide nutritious meals and valuable education to those in need.”

As part of today’s event, the Food Bank held a Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) training, bringing together a large group of agency partners to focus on best practices for food handling and distribution. The newly designed training kitchen provided the perfect environment for the session, featuring spacious accommodations and professional-grade equipment to enhance hands-on learning.

Spanning 2,000 square feet, the training kitchen can host up to 400 individuals, offering practical training and educational programs for The Regional Food Bank staff, agency partners, and community members. It will be utilized for:

• Training sessions for food bank agency partners to ensure nutrition and safety requirements are met across the region.
• Educational workshops on nutrition, meal preparation, and food safety to empower community members and organizations.
• Culinary demonstrations to promote healthy eating and creative cooking techniques for food pantry clients.
• Fundraising events and community engagement initiatives to further support The Regional Food Bank’s mission.

“This new kitchen is truly a community asset for our organization and the partners we work with,” said The Regional Food Bank CEO Tom Nardacci. “With this space, we will expand training opportunities, improve food safety education, provide new meeting rooms for our community partners, and engage the community in new ways. We are incredibly grateful to Assemblymember Phil Steck for securing the funding that made this possible. In 2024 alone, The Regional Food Bank provided 1,588,654 pounds of food (equivalent to 1,323,879 meals) to individuals and families in the 110th Assembly District. This investment ensures we can continue and grow that impact.”

The $500,000 in capital funding, secured by Steck and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, supported not only the construction of the training kitchen but also broader facility enhancements, including refrigerated docks, ADA-compliant restrooms, improved signage, and expanded office and volunteer spaces. Assemblymember Steck and Nardacci highlighted these additional facility upgrades, including a new community meeting space and expanded office areas for staff and partners.

For more information about The Regional Food Bank and its programs, visit their Web site.