Monday, December 08, 2014

Loaves & Fishes Grant Approved


Council Approves Capital Funding Request

The Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank is one step closer to their plan to purchase the 6,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Fry Street to accommodate their growing food recovery program.

The food bank's food recovery program has the potential to provide more food than their current location on Farquhar St. can process. The additional 6,000 square feet will provide expanded storage and sorting capacity, allowing the food bank to recover more of the food local supermarkets are currently sending to landfill.

By recovering perfectly good food destined for landfill because it doesn't meet the stores standards has allowed the local food bank to provide more than your typical 'can of beans' food bank fare to the people they are serving. It means they can provide fresh produce and dairy products which greatly improves the dietary options for clients needing their service.

In the past year over 7,000 people used the food bank at least once during the year, and in the past month over 3,000 people needed their services.

Council approved a request for a $275,000 grant which the food bank can apply to the purchase of the $550,000 building on Fry Street. They had asked the city for either the capital grant of $275,000 ( $137,500 being paid in 2015 and $137,500 paid in 2016) or an ongoing operating grant of $48,000 per year.

The funding will allow the Loaves & Fishes food bank to better serve those in our community who need this most basic need met.



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