Tucson, Ariz.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the Yuma Community Food Bank on two grants from Rural Development, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to improve customer traffic access and upgrade local parking availability. The grants will help increase customer parking, re-route semi trucks on Food Bank property to avoid congestion, help avoid customers blocking traffic in front of the premises, and repair a septic system on the east side of the building.

The grants, totaling $117,187, come in the form of a $68,387 Community Facility Grant and a $48,800 Economic Impact Initiative grant. The cost of the project will be covered in part by a $67,636 contribution from the Food Bank, according to USDA information.

“Communities all over Arizona need exactly this kind of sensible assistance – whether it’s transportation, infrastructure or more commercial opportunity – and the people of Yuma are going to benefit tremendously from this project,” Grijalva said. “Far from being some bureaucratic, out-of-touch funding decision, this is being done because local demand has increased and transportation capacity needs to match commercial potential. I congratulate the Food Bank on this opportunity to better serve the people of Yuma, and I thank Rural Development for making the right choice in funding this project.”

For more information, contact the Food Bank at (928) 343-1243.