Bayfield food bank needs $300,000 for new permanent home

The food bank has moved to Bayfield's arena – but they need to move out by September. CTV London's Scott Miller explains.

Volunteers are putting the final touches on the Bayfield Area Food Bank’s new temporary headquarters.

“We are in Bayfield, and that’s the key. One third of our clients walk to the food bank, so there was no way that we could situate ourselves outside of Bayfield,” said Bayfield and Area Food Bank President Claire Trepanier.

Trepanier didn’t want to move the food bank. She was happy at the former Bayfield Lion’s Community Building, but it was sold in February to a local doctor to make way for a medical clinic.

That meant the food bank had to find a new home.

After weeks of worry, they’ve found one, inside three dressing rooms at the Bayfield Arena. But this is just their temporary home. They have to be out by mid-September to allow hockey teams to use the dressing rooms again.

“We are looking for a permanent space. We’re thinking of building a structure. And in order to do that, because we’re a nonprofit, we’re going to have to do some fundraising to help build a home for the food bank. We have to do it fairly quickly, obviously, because we have to be out of this space by September 15th,” she said.

The Municipality of Bluewater helped with physically moving the food bank’s supplies into the arena, as well as nearly $4,000 in electrical hookups.

Trepanier said they’re hoping the food bank can receive some of the $700,000 raised from the sale of the Bayfield Lion’s Community Building, their former home, towards building them a new permanent location. Trepanier has already asked council for approximately $200,000 in funding.

“I know council was clear when it was first brought up that they are not in the food bank business. But they are there to help support how [they] can, because it is a service that we feel is required. That’s where the tricky spot comes into play. What does that actually look like?” said Bayfield Coun. Bill Whetstone.

Bayfield’s Food Bank helps to feed 110 people each month, of which 32 per cent are children.

“When there was the snowstorm last month, the truck from the distribution center could not get through. So, we had to delay our distribution by a week. Clients were genuinely very concerned. So, they’re living on the edge, and they’re waiting from month to month to be able to get food,” said Trepanier.

Whetstone said the Lion’s Building sale hasn’t officially closed yet, so the money isn’t in the municipality’s hands yet. So, they couldn’t distribute any proceeds, even if they wanted to.

“I think we understand that we’re going to have to support somehow. And I think the food bank is looking at what that means, and how they can move forward. Hopefully we’ll come to some sort of resolution in the next few coming weeks. I would like to get some sort of resolution to them, so they know where they’re headed,” said Whetstone.

Trepanier estimates a new permanent structure or building to house the food bank will cost approximately $300,000.