The demand keeps rising during these uncertain economic times, and the Cambridge Food Bank is juggling a couple of big challenges all at once.
Specifically, they need to keep up with the community’s needs while also searching for a new spot to operate from. Their lease at 54 Ainslie St. S. is ending in about four years.
There’s still some time before they have to move, but finding a place that fits all their requirements has been tough.
“There’s not a lot on the market here in Cambridge,” said CEO of the Cambridge Food Bank, Dianne Mc Leod. “We have some specific needs in terms of requiring to be on a bus route, for example. We’ve been looking for a few years now and haven’t been successful yet, but we’re going to continue to look, and I’m confident that we’ll find something.”
Mc Leod explained it’s really about balancing what they need versus what would just be nice to have in their next location – like things that could make daily work easier or improve access – but there are certain essentials they can’t compromise on.
“We’d really love to be central in the city, we may have to make a sacrifice for that, but we would definitely need a loading dock space and a parking space. We have a lot of needs and a couple of wants, but the needs are most important.”
Dianne Mc Leod, CEO of the Cambridge Food Bank. (Justine Fraser/City News Kitchener)
This makes things pretty challenging for the food bank since demand keeps pushing their current site beyond its limits – adding pressure at an already stressful time for everyone around here.
“Right now, we’re really focusing on making sure that we have enough food and support for the people who are coming in to see us. The need is significant in our community right now, so we’re focusing on that,” said Mc Leod. “While I’m doing that, we’re also keeping our eyes open for properties that might come for sale.”
Even as they search for new space, tough economic times keep hitting hard across both this region and Canada as a whole. Mc Leod pointed out how these challenges affect everyone no matter who they are or where they live.
Message from Cambridge Food Bank CEO Dianne Mc Leod to the local community across Waterloo Region.
“We’re seeing a shift in the type of people that are coming to the food bank in terms of demographics. We’re seeing more folks who are employed, who have full-time jobs, more folks who own their homes, and we’re seeing a significant rise this year in children and youth accessing the food bank as well.”
This shows just how much more help is needed at places like Cambridge Food Bank along with others across Ontario. Locally though? They’ve got serious hurdles ahead – ones Mc Leod says they can’t afford to fail on.
“It’s a challenge, but one that we are certainly up for. We have a great staff team, and we have over 400 volunteers who make it possible to move a million pounds of food through that small facility every single day, making sure everyone walks out with the food they need to stay healthy.”
