Community Foundation Grant Powers Food Bank’s Expanded Service in New Facility
The Partners in Mission Food Bank has entered a new era of service in Kingston, thanks in part to a grant from the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area: a three-door commercial freezer that is transforming how the organization supports local families.
According to Executive Director Dan Irwin, the new freezer is a game-changer. “This freezer has had a huge impact on our capabilities and capacity for serving our clients,” he explained. “With three different doors, and each shelf colour-coded for household size, clients know exactly which section to access-red for small households, yellow for medium, and blue for large families. It’s simple, dignified, and efficient.” Before this upgrade, the food bank managed with just a two-door unit, which made keeping up with demand far more difficult.
The timing of the Community Foundation’s support could not have been better. The Food Bank recently moved into a new, purpose-designed facility at 4 Harvey Street. “Our previous location was about 8,100 square feet spread over two floors, with too much office space and not enough for our warehouse and clients,” Dan said. “Now, we have 17,500 square feet all on one level, including a 3,000 square foot shopping area. We were at capacity before, serving about 100 appointments a day-now, we have the ability to go beyond that as need grows.”
The new building is not just larger; it’s designed for dignity and efficiency. Clients now shop for their own food, choosing items that best suit their needs. “We’re really looking forward to the information we get out of our shopping model,” Dan said. “We’ll know what people want and don’t want, and we can adjust our purchasing accordingly. It’s about respecting choice and reducing waste.”
Growth has been dramatic. “Since the pandemic, we’ve seen over 45% growth in our family-sized hampers,” Dan noted. “All categories have grown, but families are where the need has exploded. Last year, we served over 9,100 people.”
The new facility also supports a robust volunteer corps, now 135 strong, and features a dedicated donor door and improved sorting areas for fresh produce. “Kingston is a very generous community,” Dan said. “We don’t receive government funding, so it’s donors and grants like this freezer that make it possible for us to keep up with rising demand.”
Dan summed up the impact: “Without the Community Foundation’s support, it would have been far more difficult to serve our growing community. Thanks to this grant, we’re better equipped to feed our neighbours with dignity and efficiency.”