IDAHO FALLS — Due to a surprise donation from Melaleuca, the Community Food Basket — Idaho Falls is now able to close its capital campaign and pay off the mortgage on its 22,000-square-foot food storage warehouse. The final $51,500 needed to end the capital campaign to purchase the warehouse has been donated to Community Food Basket. Melaleuca’s donation represents the single largest corporate donation in the warehouse capital campaign.

During the company’s holiday food drive, Melaleuca employees gave $34,228 in donations, which was equally matched by The Melaleuca Foundation, for a total of $68,456 to benefit the hungry. In addition to this $51,500 contribution to the Community Food Basket, Melaleuca bought turkeys and groceries for the Thanksgiving meal hosted by The Salvation Army to benefit the elderly, homeless, disabled and the less fortunate in the community.

As a result of the successful capital campaign, Community Food Basket will now be able to reallocate the majority of its lease payment each month to buy more food and enhance programs for less-fortunate families. Melaleuca said this reinvestment of funds, which enables the nonprofit to help even more struggling families, was a key factor in making this donation.

After 41 years of service to east Idaho communities and multiple food storage locations, Community Food Basket will now be the proud owner of its food storage warehouse located at 1895 N. Boulevard in Idaho Falls. A legacy gift to the community, this warehouse stores both dry and refrigerated food items for Community Food Basket clients and for other programs that supply food (including The Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen), along with a Diaper Bank, school pantry donations and a newly organized mattress program.

“Melaleuca’s generous donation ends our capital campaign to raise the funds needed to pay off the mortgage of our food storage warehouse, and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Ariel Jackson, executive director of Community Food Basket — Idaho Falls.

Other major donors include The Four Amigas (four anonymous women), the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, Albertsons Foundation, Idaho Community Foundation and the CHC Foundation.

For those interested in contributing to Community Food Basket Idaho Falls, please donate at www.FeedIdahoFalls.org or mail a check payable to the Community Food Basket — Idaho Falls at P.O. Box 2236, Idaho Falls, ID 83403.