Food bank takes fresh approach to food distribution
New space allows timely distribution of donated produce from farmers, grocers
KITCHENER — Bags of coffee beans. Slabs of unsliced deli meat. Bushels of fresh tomatoes and squash. Even a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese.
These are just a few of the perishable food items the Food Bank of Waterloo Region received last year through donations, but couldn’t adequately distribute to the community because of a lack of equipment and processing space.
On Monday, the food bank unveiled a solution to that problem — a new 578-square-foot space at its warehouse at 50 Alpine Ct. It will allow them to make better use of perishable food by preparing it in a bright, clean space, complete with stainless steel counters, a sink and new dishwasher.
“We’ve had to decline offers (for fresh food) in the past because we knew we couldn’t distribute it within the shelf life of that product,” said Wendi Campbell, the food bank’s CEO, just ahead of Monday’s public unveiling of the Fresh Approaches Centre.
More than 32,000 people accessed food assistance in Waterloo Region in 2017 — or about one in 20 households.
Volunteers can now sort, wash, chop, slice and repackage most of the perishable food that comes through the food bank’s doors, primarily from local farmers and grocery chains.
So when peak tomato season arrives, for example, and it’s difficult for the organization to distribute all the donations to partner agencies before they spoil, the extras can now be washed, chopped and frozen for later use. Some of the food bank’s community partners have kitchens at their disposal and can turn those processed tomatoes into sauces or stews, ensuring the food stretches even further, Campbell said.
And every food hamper that goes out will include recipe cards to educate recipients about how to store the perishables, how long the shelf life is, and how to properly cook or prepare donations.
“Increasing the level of food literacy is a really neat opportunity,” said Campbell.
The food bank conjures images of shelves stocked with peanut butter, tuna, beans, soup and other non-perishables, all being sorted and packed by a small army of volunteers.
But one-third of all food distributed by the food bank is actually fresh. Last year, more than 2,000 volunteers helped distribute more than 32,000 kilograms of food each week.
“It’s the thing people don’t know about us, and I think it’s an important part of the food bank story,” said Campbell.
“It’s not just about boxes of macaroni or tins of tuna anymore. We’re adding nutritional value to that old way of doing things.”
In 2012, the food bank made a conscious effort to place more emphasis on fresh and frozen food distribution, when it expanded the cooler space in the warehouse to 15,700 cubic feet — large enough to store 65 skid-loads of food.
The food bank will also hire a program co-ordinator with a background in culinary management and food processing to ensure the new space lives up to its full potential, and it will also work with volunteers in the space as well.
The food bank will meet the food safety guidelines set out by public health, as well as by Food Banks Canada.
“The big thing about this space will be food safety,” Campbell said.
The food bank is also a distribution centre for food banks across southwestern Ontario, and it is working with Food Banks Canada on a new food procurement program that will allow it to distribute more food from outside this region.
“This could be a game-changer for kinds of food we can access,” Campbell said.
Donors played a big role in getting the $115,000 space built. They include major donors such as the Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation and contractor S.G. Cunningham, which made a cash donation as well as in-kind services to help finish the processing room.
The food bank is still looking to raise another $30,000 to help buy a few more items on its wish list, including a vacuum sealer, meat slicer, coffee grinder, digital scale, knives, slotted spoons and aluminum stock pots.
For more information or to donate go to the food bank website and type “Fresh Approaches” into the search tool.