For immediate release
April 20, 2020
SSA MARINE, COLUMBIA HOSPITALITY, PROLOGIS AND FOOD LIFELINE CREATE A SUPPLEMENTAL 160,000-SQUARE-FOOT FOOD BANK AS FOOD RELIEF DEMAND DOUBLES AMID COVID-19 OUTBREAK
SEATTLE – The need to feed our neighbors who are hungry has nearly doubled since the COVID-19 outbreak while food donations have dropped by 70 percent. Responding to the increased needs, local family-owned firms, SSA Marine and Columbia Hospitality, and global logistics real estate leader Prologis have teamed up with Food Lifeline to meet the growing demand for nutritious food.
The National Guard is sending 250 members to pack emergency food boxes to keep up with demand.
In less than a week, the innovative partnership has secured a 166,000-square-foot warehouse in Seattle’s SoDo District (4140 East Marginal Way South) to create a supplemental food bank that will more than double Food Lifeline’s capacity. The new facility will also allow Food Lifeline, the largest food bank in Washington, to more than double its staffing to better meet the community’s needs, which are outstripping current capacity.
The collaboration is consistent with SSA Marine’s spirit of partnership “to move commerce with efficiency, flexibility and integrity,” Columbia Hospitality’s OMG mission (Own the Values, Make it Fun, Get it Done), Prologis’ ongoing commitment to social responsibility and supporting the communities where it operates, and Food Lifeline’s goals to feed people today and solve hunger for tomorrow.
Shared values are at the core of the partnership.
“As the country and Washington State work to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, Prologis is proud to support organizations like Food Lifeline, which is on the frontlines of addressing food insecurity,” said Prologis chief legal officer and ESG head Edward S. Nekritz. “Through our Space for Good program, we are in a unique position to assist those in need and strengthen communities.”
“SSA Marine is rooted in Western Washington and in the values of being good neighbors,” said Jon Hemingway, Chairman of SSA Marine, a company founded in Bellingham with operations across Western Washington.
“We are honored to partner with an amazing organization like Food Lifeline that does such important work in our community.”,” said John Oppenheimer, founder and CEO of Columbia Hospitality. “This work is invaluable, especially now as we are responding to the needs of our neighbors.”
Last year, Food Lifeline engaged nearly 18,000 volunteers and sourced nearly 60 million pounds of food to feed 134,000 meals daily. To support Food Lifeline call (206) 545-6600 or go to foodlifeline.org.
WHAT: Food Lifeline Covid-19 Response food bank
WHERE: 4140 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98134 (SoDo)
WHEN: Opens on Monday, April 20 at 8 am
WHY: the number hungry neighbors in Washington has doubled since the COVID-19 outbreak
MISC: The National Guard is assigning 250 members to volunteer to pack emergency food boxes
SSA Marine (https://www.ssamarine.com/), together with its affiliates, manages marine terminal and rail yard operations in more than 250 strategic locations around the world. With three generations of family leadership, SSA Marine has grown to become one of the largest terminal operating and stevedoring companies in the world. For more information go to ssamarine.com.
Founded in 1995, Columbia Hospitality (https://www.columbiahospitality.com/) has grown to become one of the largest hospitality management companies based in the Northwest with properties in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Arizona and Hawaii. For more information go to columbiahospitality.com.
Prologis, Inc. (https://www.prologis.com/) is the global leader in logistics real estate with a focus on high-barrier, high-growth markets. As of December 31, 2019, and inclusive of the IPT acquisition on January 8, 2020, and the LPT acquisition on February 4, 2020, the company owned or had investments in, on a wholly owned basis or through co-investment ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 964 million square feet (90 million square meters) in 19 countries. Prologis leases modern logistics facilities to a diverse base of approximately 5,500 customers principally across two major categories: business-to-business and retail/online fulfillment.
CONTACT:
Chris S. Nishiwaki
Food Lifeline
www.foodlifeline.org
Mobile: (206) 234-7421
