Gleaners Food Bank Quinte celebrated the official opening of their new Community Market in Belleville on Thursday.
This incredible development and milestone was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony and opportunities to tour the market.
The new model allows families and individuals to shop specifically for their needs while providing a more dignified, respectful, and personalized approach to improve client outcomes and reduce food waste.
The options available will consist of a variety of products generously donated by the community.
Within the first three weeks alone, over 750 individual households from Belleville were able to choose specific foods for their needs from the shelves of the Community Market. Almost 2,000 individuals have received food from Gleaners since July 2nd.
“Our food bank and our community are rising to meet these challenges, and one of the ways we can do that is by adapting our approaches to make them more effective and efficient,” says Peter Kerr, Executive Director.
Kerr says that the Community Market “creates a more positive and dignified experience for the individuals and families who come to us for support.”
Following the celebration of this incredible milestone, Gleaners thanked neighbouring food banks such as Trenton’s Care and Share, Kingston’s Partners in Mission, and Picton’s United Church Food Bank for their shared feedback.
Gleaners also thanked private donors, community partners, the John M. and Bernice Parrott Foundation, Food Banks Canada, and the City of Belleville for their financial support, as well as the continued generosity of the members of the community who donate food and financial support.
Food insecurity continues to grow, and with that, so does the need for food banks. The Community Market will both serve those in need and shape how Gleaners delivers to the community in an extremely meaningful way.
