Green River Community Food Warehouse nears $3 million in campaign commitments

Two regional foundations helped accelerate the campaign. The Public Life Foundation of Owensboro awarded an initial $100,000 grant in March 2025 before issuing a $400,000 matching challenge later that year. The challenge was fully met in January, unlocking a total commitment of $500,000.
During the same period, the Hager Educational Foundation increased its total contribution from $100,000 to $500,000.
The City of Owensboro also expanded its financial support, raising its initial $100,000 pledge to a total of $500,000.

“Addressing food insecurity requires coordinated leadership and long-term commitment,” Mayor Tom Watson said. “The City of Owensboro is honored to support this collaborative effort and invest in a solution that will increase access to nutritious food for our residents while strengthening our local food system.”

Owensboro Health recently highlighted the warehouse as a key community partner during its 2026 Community Health Investment announcement and continues to support the project through funding, strategic guidance and leadership involvement.
Additional backing has come from Daviess County Fiscal Court, Atmos Energy, Impact 100, Greenwell Foundation, Yeager Foundation, Green River Area Community Foundation, Boardwalk Pipeline and Glenmore Gifts, among others.
Steve Innes, executive director of the Green River Community Food Warehouse, said the campaign’s progress has been driven by broad community collaboration.

“Reaching this point was not the result of one gift or one organization,” Innes said. “It was achieved because the private and public sectors stepped forward around a shared vision — to strengthen our local food system in a lasting way.”
Innes said individual donations now total approximately $425,000, while the organization’s board has committed $500,000 to the effort.

Local officials estimate that more than 15,000 residents in Owensboro and Daviess County experience food insecurity, creating a need for roughly 1.36 million meals per month. While truckloads of donated food are available throughout the region, much of it currently bypasses the community due to limited cold-storage capacity.
The planned temperature-controlled warehouse is designed to capture, store and distribute donated food — particularly fresh produce and protein — at scale. Once operational, the facility is expected to increase food distribution capacity by more than 215,000 meal equivalents per month, supporting an estimated 2,400 additional people.

“The Green River Community Food Warehouse represents a vital first step in addressing the persistent problem of hunger in our community,” Joe Berry, executive director of the Public Life Foundation of Owensboro, said.

“We increased our commitment of support due to the immediate need and long-term resilience for the warehouse to serve our community,” Danna Johnson, executive director of the Hager Educational Foundation, said.

With just over $1 million remaining to reach its campaign goal, warehouse leaders say the project is entering its final fundraising phase, with construction planning expected to advance as additional commitments are secured.