North Frontenac Food Bank Finds A New Home

Jeff Green | May 01, 2014

After being hosted by St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Sharbot Lake, for many years, the North Frontenac Food Bank is moving to the back basement of the Village Courtyard at 1095 Garrett Street. Access is at the rear of the building.

Among the advantages of the new space, which is being provided free of charge by the building's owners, Rosemary and Bill Bowick, is the fact that it has electrical power.

Kim Cucoch took over as food bank co-ordinator last September from Brenda Piat, who served in the role for many years. Cucoch submitted an application to the Kraft Building Fund for physical improvements to the food bank.

“We were one of only four food banks in Ontario to receive funding,” Kim Cucoch said, "and since the funding included money for a fridge and a freezer, as well as shelving, moving to a location with power and more space became a priority.”

The money will also be used to repair the stairs at the new location, which will make it easier to access for seniors and others.

Having a fridge and freezer will also allow the food bank to take full advantage of its membership in the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB), which is able to access donations of eggs, milk, meat, poultry and frozen vegetables for its members.

“The fridge and freezer will allow us the storage for perishable products, which we have never had before,” Cucoch said, adding that the food bank is not trying to get any bigger; it is just trying to provide better service and make life easier for the 22 volunteers who do the work required to feed those who require the services.

Demand for service went up last year, when a total of 89 families from North, Central and South Frontenac received food. Some of those families received food only once but others received food 12 times during the year. The food bank can be accessed by families as often as once a month.

To access food, families need to fill out a form that asks about finances. Once eligible, all recipients get milk, bread and eggs among other staples. Families with children also received two kinds of meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. Pick up days are Tuesday and Thursday.

Since it is entirely supported by volunteers and administrative costs are kept at a bare minimum, “99% of the money we raise goes to food for our clients,” said Cucoch.

One trend that has become more pronounced this winter is the increase in the number of seniors who have been accessing the food bank.

“We continue to have families come to us for food, but with the high cost of heat this winter we are now seeing seniors in greater numbers than before,” she said.

The North Frontenac Food Bank will be formally opening at their new location later this month. They have also established a new phone number, 613-532-8855, which is for voice mail only. All calls are returned as soon as possible. They also have an email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Like all food banks, they are always on the lookout for new volunteers and for food and monetary donations.

A ribbon cutting at the new location will take place later in May.