Taste Of Hope Sponsorships & Tickets Are Available for Purchase

Cultivate Adds Solar Parking Structure

This week, Cultivate flipped the switch on its new solar parking structure, marking the completion of an ambitious 3 ½ year, $10 Million capital project. The project included a 22K square foot cold storage facility, office renovations, a new volunteer facility in Elkhart, as well as the parking lot and solar structure.

The solar structure will reduce energy consumption in the building by 67%. The savings can go directly into the community to feed more hungry people. Sustainability is a huge part of the vision of Cultivate. Food rescue is one of the most impactful ways to reduce greenhouse gases, reducing the carbon footprint while feeding hungry neighbors. Cultivate also just began a composting program to reduce waste in its facilities as well as planting a variety of native plants and seeds at the South Bend location.

The solar canopy installation caps a transformational capital campaign that included the construction of Cultivate’s 22,000-square-foot cold storage facility, the opening of a volunteer meal packaging facility in Elkhart, renovation of the organization’s original building, and parking lot improvements. Together, these investments have positioned Cultivate to rescue up to 20 million pounds of food annually, equivalent to $47 million worth of nutritious meals.

“The City of South Bend is proud to support Cultivate Food Rescue through our Energy Assistance & Solar Savings Initiative,” said Alex Bazán, Director of Sustainability for the City of South Bend. “Organizations like Cultivate demonstrate that environmental sustainability and community impact go hand in hand. Their solar installation not only reduces their carbon footprint but also ensures more resources can be directed toward their vital mission of addressing food insecurity in our area.”

Local companies involved in the solar canopy project are all long-time supporters of Cultivate’s mission, including K2, a South Bend-based company, who designed and installed the system, and DJ Construction who managed the structural design and oversight.

The canopy is also EV-ready, with conduit in place for future electric vehicle charging stations, positioning Cultivate for continued environmental leadership. The installation utilized federal tax incentives, with approximately 40% of the project cost covered through refundable tax rebates.

Media Coverage of the Event