JASPER, Texas — The Southeast Texas Food Bank is taking part in a three-phase expansion project to better serve community members in need.
Phase one, including a 4,000-square-foot office in Beaumont, which is part of a $1 million project funded by the American Rescue Plan, is almost complete.
Phase two, including is a 68,000-square-foot health resource center in Jasper, which is an area the food bank says lacks access to healthy foods, is underway.
This center is in partnership with the Jasper Newton County Public Health District and is located at the former site of J.H. Rowe Intermediate School in Jasper.
Southeast Texas Food Bank employees say this facility will operate in a central location to serve people from Jasper, Newton, Tyler and Sabine counties.
"But we also have the Jasper Newton Health Department coming in with us and about 14 other entities that are going to be on the property to fulfill those gaps in services and most of it is health care, a lot today is health related," said SETX Food Bank President, Harvey Zernial said.
The health district will aid this center by offering free health programs like primary care appointments, free STD and STI testing and free resources for parents and women.
Family Planning Clerk Valerie Polk with the Jasper Newton County Public Health District says their services will provide mammograms for women ages 18 to 64 that don't have insurance.
"We have people that are referred in from other doctor's offices that they don't have insurance and we're able to get them in our program," Polk said.
Nutrition education will also be offered.
"We're going to do nutritional classes, cooking, so we're gonna try to pull the two together what your health issues are, what is causing that?" said Jasper Newton County Public Health District Administrative Director, Diane Rashall. "Is it the good that you, the choices that you have to chose from. If it is then we want to give you new resources,."
In just five years, the food bank has grown from 17 employees to 35, meaning their programs and services have grown too.
"Our new administrative offices with our meeting rooms, classrooms meeting rooms. We can do nutrition education classes, have community meetings here, board meetings," Zernial previously told 12News.
The Beaumont location will house phase three, which is a 30,000 through 40,000 square-foot building with climate controls and refrigeration for food.
The food bank aims to bring fresh produce and meats into the community.
"We have to make sure we're whole and correct to serve the community better. If we can't carry frozen foods, if you can't do right with refrigeration with dairy and proteins," Zernial said. "We're not providing the most healthiest foods we can provide and we have to correct that."
The cement for phase one was poured in September 2021. This administration building is expected to be finished by April 2023.