Valley View Community Food Bank is relocating in the near future, but customers will not have to change their routes or schedules to adjust to pick-up necessary items.

The nonprofit organization with a headquarters at 10771 W. Peoria Ave., Sun City, purchased the former Wells Fargo branch building next door.

“For this opportunity to come along and it be only steps away is amazing,” said Amy Tekulve, Valley View's director of marketing. “We have people that walk in, that are homeless or on bikes coming here so staying in the area is a huge plus. We’re still here and it’s not going to affect that.”

The bank branch closed about a year ago and Valley View began looking into the purchase. The sale was completed at the end of January.

“This location is on a lease,” Tekulve said. “This gives us an opportunity to own the building. We are incredibly vigilant about how we spend around here. To be able to save money (by owning rather than leasing) and purchase more food is huge for us.”

The new building is also about 200 square feet larger than the leased space, she said. Before they move in, however, Tekulve said Valley View is taking advantage of the opportunity to redesign the interior to make it more efficient for the group's operations.

“We’re starting from scratch so we’re able to redo the inside to make it what we need and build out what will work best to serve our clients,” Tekulve said. “It will be way more efficient. We have lots of ideas and big dreams.”

There is no target date set for the move, she said. Timing will depend on the team of architects and engineers and the necessary renovations. They also hope the architects will put forward a concept that better utilizes the interior space for the volunteers.

One key area where Valley View believes will see the most benefit is the drive-thru. Currently, cars line up near a service door to receive their goods, an area that can get congested or blocked when the food bank is receiving supplies.

Tekulve said the bank drive-thru will alleviate congestion as well as make it more efficient to deliver the goods to the waiting clients in their vehicles.

“We’re really excited and looking forward to speeding up the process for our customers,” she said.

In addition to their regular fundraisers, Tekulve said Valley View will host others to address specific needs related to the relocation, such as upgraded equipment or technology.

The Valley View Comunity Food Bank Pantry in Sun City West is open  at 9 a.m. Monday at the Sun City West Foundation,  14465 W. R.H. Johnson Blvd.  14465 W R H Johnson Blvd,