More people than ever are using the Callander and District Food bank, and the little storefront at 78 Lansdowne Street has been open since 2010.
Maureen Carriere, Rosemary Dupuis, and Debra Hickey oversee operations—with the help of volunteers—and Carriere mentioned the visits to the food bank have increased by a third. “Each week we get at least one new family,” calling in to place an order, she said, noting that the food bank serves Callander, Corbeil, and Astorville.
Carriere and Dupuis founded the food bank twelve years ago. Around that time, they were collecting food through the St. Alphonsus Liguori church, which they would bring to Corbeil, “because the Knights of Columbus out there had a food bank,” which it turned out, was on the verge of closing.
Folk from Callander would use that food bank as well, Carriere noted, and once the place closed, some residents were at a loss, and Carriere and Dupuis still had a lot of food they had collected, “so we started to deliver it to people all around Callander.”
“People we knew needed it,” she said, and the two “brought the rest of it to the Powassan food bank.” During their visits to that food bank, the woman who ran it kept encouraging Carriere and Dupuis to open one themselves—“you’ve got to have one in Callander,” she urged.
Over coffee the two discussed the idea, and as it was such a big endeavour, let it simmer for a while. “We’ll see” was the verdict, Carriere recalled, but the very next morning, Dupuis was strolling downtown and noticed a for rent sign in the building where the food bank currently stands.
She took that as a sign of a different sort, and “everything fell into place,” Carriere said, “and we just started it.”
Since then, “we’ve had a lot of wonderful volunteers” help along the way, and Carriere remains grateful for all of the “community support.”
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Times are more difficult now. After two years of Covid costing people work and jobs and now that inflation is eating more of our money, securing food is becoming more difficult for many. Visits are up, but thankfully, the donations continue to come in as well.
“All three communities support us beautifully,” Carriere said, noting that residents continue to donate food and funds for the cause. “We’ve been fortunate,” and the North Bay Lions Club “have been very generous to us,” providing gift cards to President’s Choice “and that really helps get us through.”
Corbeil Township also supports the endeavour “quite well,” with financial donations “as they can.” Plus, people “stop by often” with bags of food to help fill the shelves.
The food bank is open Monday and Tuesday mornings from nine to noon, but people can call nine to five, Monday to Friday. Carriere recommends calling first, and she will help put some food together which can then be picked up on Monday or Tuesday.
For those looking to donate, a call to the food bank would be welcomed, and Carriere will work out a time that is best to drop it off. The number is 705-752-0777.
“It’s been a pleasure,” operating the food bank, Carriere said, “our clients are really wonderful people, and most are really grateful for the service.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
