In a recent article for Public Management Magazine, Sarah Sieloff and Lucy Bishop highlight how one California community turned a brownfield into a vital food distribution center.
In “Food (Insecurity) for Thought,” which appears in the June 2025 edition of the International City/County Management Association publication, Sarah and Lucy describe how a group of partners transformed a former contaminated meatpacking warehouse in Fresno, California, into St. Rest + Food to Share Hub. The Hub, which opened in 2024, distributes food, offers nutrition classes, and opens entrepreneurial opportunities in a historically underserved area.
“Ultimately, the St. Rest + Food to Share Hub is a story about partnership,” write Sarah, a brownfields funding expert, and Lucy, an environmental project planner. St. Rest Baptist Church, Fresno Metropolitan Ministry, and the city of Fresno joined forces to leverage more than $1.4 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields funding as well as other public and private grants to turn a brownfield into a community resource. And it is a resource that was sorely needed; Fresno County—one of the nation’s largest food-producing regions—is the third-hungriest county in the nation, Sarah and Lucy report.
Since opening, the Hub has increased food distribution to provide vital nutrition to more low-income families. It has also prevented an estimated 13.9 million pounds of methane emissions, write Sarah and Lucy, both of whom guide brownfield redevelopment projects for Haley & Aldrich clients. This Hub’s story, they note, typifies how community-driven planning and dedicated partnerships can transform environmental liabilities into valuable assets.
Read the full article.
