Lawson Hunter
Fare Share Food Bank, 1240 Speers Road, Unit 6
As I look at the can of beans in my hand, I notice that it’s passed its best-before date. I’m frustrated.
I’m frustrated that this can represents wasted food. I’m frustrated that this food could have gone to feed others. I’m frustrated by the fact that others needed this food, obviously, more than I did. I’m frustrated that there is even a need for donations to "food banks" in my community, in my country.
I place food banks in quotation marks because the concept is misleading. Food banks, it is said, grew out of soup kitchens in the 1960s in the U.S. and further developed in the basements and halls of churches, in Canada, in the 1970s and 80s. They were always meant to be a temporary solution to recessions and uncertain economic forces.
Today, Food Banks Canada represents a network of 10 provincial associations and more than 4,750 hunger relief organizations from coast to coast to coast in every province and territory. Many of these have become registered charities, and one has to believe that there are countless other smaller groups, school breakfasts and after-school programs operating on the edges. And none of them are going away anytime soon.
In "Canada’s Invisible Food Network," a report commissioned by Second Harvest, it is estimated that there are four times more charitable food providers than grocery stores in Canada.
Lawson Hunter
open Mondays 10-2 and Thursdays 2-7
I wanted, needed, to learn more about the need for a food bank, or food banks, in Oakville, so I went to Fare Share Food Bank, at 1240 Speers Road, Unit 6, where I met up with Stephen Rowe, the volunteer president (there are no paid staff) to discuss the issue.
Fare Share was started in 1987 by a local priest who saw the need to feed others in the community. Today, the non-profit organization occupies 8,000 square feet of space, servicing some 3,000 people each month with food and sundries – Mondays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m.
"Many people are surprised that Oakville has a food bank," said Rowe. "Oakville is considered a wealthy community. However, there is an element of people who can’t afford to live without a food bank helping them out."
Rowe cited examples of single parents, refugees from Syria and Ukraine, those who, pre-pandemic, had full-time jobs but were downsized to part-time without benefits, and an alarming number of seniors on fixed incomes who just can’t keep up with inflation.
Lawson Hunter
These shelves will be empty by month's end
"We’re seeing people come in who never thought they would need a food bank," noted Rowe. "We’ve gone from servicing 400 clients a month to 800. We’ve had over 200 new clients register just since January of this year." Those seeking assistance need only supply proof of Oakville residency and IDs of all family members.
Rowe continued, "There is often a perceived stigma by those coming in. We do our level best to treat them with respect. We try to make their experience as palatable as possible."
Rowe, who has volunteered for eight years at Fare Share, credits the 75 other volunteers (a few have been around for dozens of years) who make the operation run smoothly with a sense of purpose and compassion.
"People know us because we’ve been around for a long time, but I don’t see an end in sight to this dilemma."
Lawson Hunter
Sally, Tony & Marcia
"We’re getting very, very close to our capacity. Servicing over 100 people (families) per session makes it difficult for us to keep up with the workload."
Donations of food, diapers, baby formula, and feminine products are always welcome through drop-off bins in almost every supermarket in town. A list of products in demand (or those not needed at the moment) are listed on Fare Share’s website here: https://oakvillefoodbank.com.
Cash donations also give the food bank more flexibility to buy fresh food, like eggs, vegetables, and meat (including halal meat), from wholesalers or supermarkets featuring sales. Fare Share Food Bank receives no government funding.
Don’t be frustrated. Learn more about how you can help. Donate, volunteer, and share this story with others who can help. Go to your cupboard right now and check expiry dates for items you might not need. Consider making a financial contribution to help keep the doors open and shelves stocked.
