Where local food meets local need
Building the
Infrastructure
Rural Communities
Need to Thrive
Warehouses4Good is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to strengthen food access and local economies in rural and Indigenous communities across the United States. We help communities plan, build, and operate the facilities needed to store, move, and share healthy food, the backbone of any resilient food system.
Our work is driven by a simple idea: every community deserves the ability to feed itself, grow, and thrive.
How We Started
A Logistics Insight That Sparked a Bigger Mission
Our work began long before Warehouses4Good was created. Members of our team were involved in a national logistics effort that delivered low-cost food and supplies to animal rescues across the country. Through that work, we spent a lot of time in remote rural areas. We noticed something important: many of these communities had little to no storage for donated goods, including food for people.
This gap was even more obvious during COVID-19, when supply chains broke down and rural families struggled to keep shelves filled. It became clear that the lack of local food infrastructure wasn’t a localized issue, it was a national one.
Seeing this need, Warehouses4Good was born.
What We Believe
Hunger Has No Place Here: We believe freedom from hunger is a basic human right. Every person deserves consistent access to healthy, affordable food.
Food Is the First Medicine: Nutrition is the foundation for growth, learning, health, and well-being. Strong food systems strengthen communities.
Community Leads the Way: Lasting solutions come from the people who live and work in the region. We listen first, build trust, and partner with intention.
We Build for the Long Term: Our work is focused on lasting change and resilience, infrastructure that supports food access today and strengthens local economies for years to come.
Equity Matters: We believe in fair access to the food value chain, for farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and families alike. Rural and Indigenous communities should not be left behind.
We are committed to building food systems that serve everyone. Food equity applies to all regardless of background, income, or geography.
Our projects honor local history, culture, and leadership, with a focus on communities that have long been underrepresented and underserved.
Community Commitment
Our Vision
We imagine a future where no one has to drive long distances or skip meals to get the food they need. Every community should have healthy, affordable food close to home.
Meet the Team
John Kane
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John leads our development work, building partnerships and securing grant funding that supports our mission. His background in philanthropic logistics gives him a strong understanding of the needs of rural food producers and families struggling with food insecurity. Since 2006, he has helped deliver more than $150 million in donated goods across the U.S., the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Central Asia. Before entering the nonprofit sector, John founded and ran an advanced materials research firm, earning multiple patents in energy and environmental technologies. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Houston with their three house cats and a feral cat colony they care for.
Joseph Garcia
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As Chief Financial Officer, Joseph oversees the financial stewardship of Warehouses4Good, managing organizational budgeting, grant compliance, audits, and long-term financial planning. Joseph also oversees project controls for our national warehouse construction program, coordinating architects, contractors, consultants, and permitting agencies across our projects. With 35 years of experience as an owner’s representative on complex design and construction projects valued at more than $22.5 billion, he brings deep expertise in planning, scheduling, cost management, contracts, and procurement. His work spans highly regulated U.S. locations to remote international settings, giving him the practical insight needed to guide projects of any scale or complexity.
Jen Marshall
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Jennifer, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), is responsible for managing scope, schedule, and cost of all Warehouses4Good’s pre-development and construction projects. She has a proven record of planning and completing projects within budget, as well as turning around distressed projects and restoring their profitability. She has successfully completed projects for several multi-national firms in energy, manufacturing, and construction, contributing to facilities valued at more than $3 billion installed cost.
Jennifer lives in Houston with her two sons and their rescue pup, Bad Benny.
Clair Jody
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Clair oversees financial management and organizational operations for Warehouses4Good. With more than a decade of experience spanning finance, business development, project management, and client service, she brings a holistic understanding of how strong systems support strong outcomes. Her international work has shaped her collaborative leadership style and her belief in diverse perspectives as a driver of sound, thoughtful decision-making. Clair’s expertise helps Warehouses4Good maintain the financial stability and operational clarity needed to support communities across the country.
Meet Our Board
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Esther Ndichu is a global leader with deep experience in logistics, public affairs, and corporate philanthropy. She currently supports People That Deliver in strengthening public health supply chains in low- and middle-income countries, empowering local professionals to build resilient systems that improve access to essential goods.
Previously, Esther served as the Vice President of Social Impact and International Community Relations at the UPS Foundation and as UPS Managing Director for Southern and Eastern Africa, where she advanced the UPS Foundation’s global humanitarian efforts.
A recognized voice in the field, Esther delivered the TED Talk “Hunger Isn’t a Food Issue, It’s a Logistics Issue,” a key inspiration for the early vision for Warehouses4Good.
Born in Nairobi, she holds a BA in International Relations from the College of Wooster and an MBA from the American Intercontinental University. She speaks English, Swahili, and French.
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Michelle is an applied economic anthropologist and Associate Director at the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She works closely with regional food networks to redesign food systems, addressing food sovereignty, food economies, land access, food freight logistics, supply management policy, sustainability and resiliency, and climate change.
Michelle serves on the National Academy of Sciences Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food Transportation, participates in the USDA working group NC1198 on Agriculture of the Middle, works with the Agroecology Research-Action Collective, and serves on the board of the Inter-Institutional Network for Food, Agriculture, and Sustainability.
Michelle holds a Master's degree in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds certifications in both Project and Portfolio Management.
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Nikki has more than 40 years of experience in politics, law, public policy, and government. She founded two public policy consulting businesses where she represented technology, insurance, finance and pharmaceutical companies; universities, colleges, foundations, and other nonprofit institutions; and numerous advocacy groups, including the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the Alliance for Justice, Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Health Network and NARAL.
Heidepriem’s work has included designing and implementing political and legislative strategies at the state and federal levels, creating relationships with opinion leaders in the non-profit and advocacy community, and developing and managing advocacy campaigns.
A veteran of numerous Democratic campaigns, including presidential primary and general elections, Heidepriem was the Director of Communications for Barbara Mikulski’s successful Senate bid in 1986.
Originally from South Dakota, Heidepriem earned a BA from Macalester College and a JD from New York University Law School where she was a Root-Tilden Scholar and Managing Editor of the Annual Survey of American Law. -
Robert is a nationally respected agriculture and public policy leader with more than three decades of experience shaping federal food, farm, and trade policy. He currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Florida Tomato Exchange, representing growers on key issues affecting domestic specialty crop production. Prior to this role, Robert spent 19 years as Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the United Fresh Produce Association, leading federal advocacy efforts before Congress, federal agencies, and the White House.
Earlier in his career, Robert served for 10 years on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Aide and Policy Director focused on agriculture, environment, water, trade, and food policy, and spent time in the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. He helped form the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, the leading coalition representing specialty crop growers in recent Farm Bills, and has served on numerous national boards and advisory committees, including the USDA Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee on Trade.
A former collegiate All-American swimmer and avid distance runner, Robert holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland.
Our Financials
We are committed to operating with transparency and accountability. Below you’ll find our most recent IRS Form 990, which outlines our financial stewardship and organizational activities.
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