The newest addition to Convoy of Hope’s Springfield campus is also one of the most exciting. At 50,000 square feet, the Food Manufacturing & Packaging Facility will soon have four automated lines producing millions of packaged meals for distribution across the U.S. and around the world. We can add lines and even expand the facility when necessary.
Thanks to faithful partners, the building has been completed debt-free, establishing momentum for feeding hungry communities around the world from Springfield.
Former Missouri Governor Mike Parson is a strategic advisor for the project, and current Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is a strong supporter. State legislators have initially granted $1 million to focus on food insecurity, helping to underwrite meals for distribution in hundreds of Missouri communities. The grant specifically connects leading rice farmers in the state with Convoy for packaging a rice component within the larger meal plans.
Even as Convoy broke ground and began construction in 2025, local food distribution was an established priority. In 2025, 200 Missouri communities were recipients of more than 9.5 million pounds of food. More than 715,000 Missourians were served, including 18,500 children in the Summer Feeding Program.
Internationally, a key strength of the facility is the ability to customize meals to match local dietary staples. As well, packaging can be labeled in regional languages. Convoy’s international Children’s Feeding program was a foundational impetus to creating the packaging center. As we grow steadily closer to our goal of feeding 1 million children every school day in 2030, the Food Manufacturing & Packaging Facility will ensure a consistent supply chain.
The facility is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as by Safe Quality Foods (which requires third-party audits to confirm the top tier of foods).
Convoy will be expanding its campus tours to include the packaging facility. As well, groups that travel to Convoy’s international program centers will have the opportunity to see products from the facility meet local needs.
While the facility was nearing completion in February, a proof-of-concept visit to El Salvador allowed business leaders from Missouri to experience that kind of interface between production and local provision. Missouri First Lady Claudia Kehoe led women executives from across the state on a visit to Convoy’s warehouse, Agriculture projects, Children’s Feeding centers, and Women’s Empowerment sites. The women packed rice shipped from Missouri to El Salvador and helped in its distribution.
As the Food Manufacturing & Packaging Facility reaches full operation, the millions of meals produced will reduce food insecurity across the U.S. and around the world.
