Alliston Food Bank Continues to Grow

VIDEO: The Good Shepherd Food Bank in Alliston continues to change to stay the same. Now known as the Alliston Food Bank, the operation has had to modify the day to day activities in real time to meet the needs of a fast growing service area.

One thing hasn’t changed however. The reality is the need for food donations never stops. The mission of the Alliston Food Bank is to provide nutritional food assistance to individuals and families encountering difficult financial times. Staff members care and respect the dignity of all clients.

Earlier this year, Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson met with Dave Bradbury and Mike Vear to learn more about the current needs of the food bank and growing demands for its service. Both Vear and Bradbury talked about the incredible generosity of Alliston and area residents, businesses and corporate outlets. Donations of food, produce and cash continue to meet the demands of the food bank, but sadly demand continues to grow. Mike Vear said the number of people accessing the food bank has doubled this year. He said the changing demographics of New Tecumseth have resulted in the food bank having to alter its inventory to provide a proper selection for clients for the large catchment area it serves.

The overall operation of the recently expanded food bank continues to change to stay the same. New walk-in freezers are now in place allowing for expanded storage of food items. A new delivery vehicle is now in service allowing for improved pick-up and delivery. At any given time, sixty to seventy volunteers work in various capacities to keep the food bank operating.

The Alliston Food Bank’s ( formerly known as the Good Shepherd Food Bank) service to the community dates back to 1994, when local citizen Guy Belanger began to collect fruit and vegetables from his own and his neighbors’ gardens to be delivered from the back of his truck to local families in need. The organization continues to grow to meet today’s demands, but as always, relies on community assistance.
CLICK HERE to visit the website of The Alliston Food Bank

“Now we are finding new ways to improve our food choices while facing unprecedented demands in our community for support. The first step was hiring an employee to oversee our operations and secure new sources of free food rescues. The next step was the purchase of a refrigerated van to safely transport this rescued perishable & non-perishable food from donors to our food bank. Many local food sources and stores have generously supported this initiative. Lastly, we are now able to receive and share food between our local food banks to create improved access & variety of supplies.”