Open for business
Colchester Food Bank moves into new Truro quarters
TRURO, N. S. – After years of working toward creation of a modern, permanent home, the Colchester Food Bank has opened its doors in a new facility in Truro.
“It is wonderful,” said Vera Smith, secretary of the food bank board. “We’re really happy with this space.”
The food bank officially opened Jan. 28 in its new headquarters at 580 Prince St.
Since December 2015, the bank had operated out of leased space in the former Basin Basics Office Products building on the corner of Forrester and Esplanade. For decades prior to that it had operated out of outdated facilities on Lorne Street.
“We’re not fully operational but our goal was to be ready to serve on Monday and we were,” Smith said.
“We had lots of volunteers and lots of people giving up time to get that done.”
The new facility offers more than 6,000 sq. ft. of space and is entirely wheelchair access- ible. It has a large food storage/ preparation area, a side entrance and waiting room for clients, a food donation weigh-in/reception area and private registration room. Installation of a walk-in cooler and separate freezer are also being completed.
The new centre has an uncompleted “dream room” that will one day be used to help clients with food planning and preparation.
“We made room for it and it’s going to be a certified kitchen as soon as we can afford it,” Smith said.
“We’re all very excited,” she said. “The community does support us, it really does.”
Smith praised the location of the new site, with plenty of parking in the rear of the building and across Prince Street.
Board chairman Don Reid said he is also pleased with how things turned out.
“I’m excited, he said. “It worked out better than we had imagined, to be honest with you. I mean, everything is going very well.”