Food bank aims to be ‘not just a hand out but a hand up’

One of the big advantages of the new space is the five teaching kitchens which allow them to grow the Food First Program.

There’s not enough room in the current food bank to run the program, which gives simple cooking and kitchen tips, in-house.

“Now we can do all those things here. So we can expand on those programs and have a lot more people go through those programs,” Jacques said. “We found those programs very successful for getting people to break the cycle of food insecurity.”

“Where they come in here, 85 per cent of the families who have gone through that food first program learning anything from couponing to shopping to cooking to learning how to do those things, gardening they haven’t come back and asked for help. So the idea is not just a hand out but a hand up to try to get them to break that cycle.”

The new food bank is likely to open in phases, Jacques says. When it’s complete it will include indoor and outdoor cafes, a playroom area and the food bank stores up front.

“Lots of space, lots of open space. Very warm, very inviting, very inclusive,” said Jacques.

Elsewhere in the building, there will be an industrial cooler and kitchen, the teaching kitchens, a warehouse and office space for community partners.

Jacques adds the community garden was a huge hit at the current location and it will be planted at the new location in the spring.

He says everyone they’ve worked with for the renovations and construction has made the project go as smoothly as possible.

“Our project manager, all the construction folks, our contractors, our tradespeople. They’ve been great to work with. A really big community effort to get us where we’re at here,” he said.

Jacques adds they are close to announcing a new executive director after Celina Symmonds took a job with the Chamber of Commerce this summer.

by Chris Brown

Food bank aims to be ‘not just a hand out but a hand up’

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