MINTO – Minto council discussed the new location for the Palmerston Food Bank at its meeting on July 11.
The food bank previously operated from the Palmerston United Church for many years.
In early 2021, town staff was approached by volunteers of the food bank committee about using an alternative building because the existing space presented some physical challenges.
The location of the church was good, but it was not directly situated in the downtown core. The community services department was looking for additional storage space opportunities at that time, so a solution was later found.
The food bank has now been relocated to a town-owned building at 215 William St., Unit 2 in Palmerston.
The previous tenant, who was using the building for storage purposes, left and renovation work was completed to create two distinct areas in the building.
One area is designated to the food bank, and the other for community services.
The food bank side now includes a main area, prep area, washroom and overflow storage room. A stainless-steel sink, prep table, and dishwasher were also installed to provide flexibility to the food bank volunteers in the preparation of weekly hampers.
Most of the materials and equipment were donated by local businesses and service clubs. Community services staff built interior walls with only minor material and capital costs incurred by the town.
“We are pleased to receive some local support for this project from Trusscore, who donated the materials to redo the walls, as well as the Palmerston Legion, who covered the cost of a new fridge,” said community services director Matt Lubbers.
He added, “As a department, we look forward to working with Deanna Martin (who is co-chair of the Blessings Board of directors), and the great team of volunteers that are in place to help meet a significant need in our community.”
