PLANNING FOR EXPANSION
The Food Bank has operated in the same facility for 37 years with no additional space or renovations. Long overdue planning has now been completed to expand existing facilities or, alternatively, to construct a new building depending on how much funding we are able to raise. Food demand has doubled in 4 years, putting a serious strain on our existing facilities.
FACTORS DRIVING CHANGE
growth in demand
Between 2007 and 2019, an average of 50,000 meals were provided per year. St. Joseph’s Community Food Bank gave out over 100,000 meals in 2022..
inflation
In line with the experience across Canada, inflation has had a devastating effect on fixed income clients and the working poor. Food insecurity continues to increase demands on the Food Bank and other agencies.
The need to provide healthier products
Providing increased volumes of healthy, fresh food requires better refrigeration and freezing equipment.
Aging and inadequate infrastructure
- Current food volumes mean that we are short 1000 square feet of warehousing and administrative space;
- Food storage space and delivery space are on two levels causing increasing risks to workplace safety;
- Aging and inadequate chest freezers and coolers cannot satisfy our need for the effective storage of an increasing volume of fresh food;
- More and more food deliveries are palletized. Without adequate loading space, shipments on pallets must be dismantled by hand and carried into the building.
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