TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Catholic Charities Terre Haute takes one step forward to expand its facility.

The Terre Haute City Council approved an ordinance that would allow Catholic Charities to build a garage at the south end of its facility at 430 14th 1/2 Street in Terre Haute.

The garage would be a protective cover for its fleet of trucks and vans. No food will be stored in the garage and will solely be used to store equipment.

Agency Director John Etling said that these vehicles play a vital role in helping distribute food throughout the community.

“We’ve got a significant investment in that fleet and we want to have it for years to come,” Etling explained.

Etling said that no other big expansion plans are in the works, but he did mention that they could make some minor upgrades to various facilities.

Catholic Charities distributed about six million pounds of food at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That number has since dropped slightly, but Etling said that the goal is to get back up to that six million mark.

Etling stressed that the need for food in this area is still very high.

“Times are tough,” Etling said. “We’re doing everything that we can to keep up with the need.”

Etling said that the plan is to host a groundbreaking event for the garage sometime in the coming weeks.