Keeping food banks afloat: Community Food Sharing Association

“We depend solely on donations to be able to operate the Community Food Sharing Association and to be able to provide support to 60 food banks throughout Newfoundland and Labrador,” Tina Bishop, general manager, said. “Without donations, we would cease to exist.”

The Community Food Sharing Association, based in St. John’s, serves as the central hub for food collection and distribution to food banks across Newfoundland and Labrador. The association supports a network of approximately 60 food banks by collecting, storing and redistributing donated food and essential supplies.

“Our partnership with Second Harvest was really a no-brainer. The food is perfectly good and there are so many people in need.” Tina continued, “it warms your heart at the end of the day to know that you were able to rescue that food, keep it out of the landfill and have it into the bellies of people who need it.”

As food insecurity rises across Newfoundland and Labrador, now affecting over 30% of households in the province, local food banks are seeing unprecedented demand and many say they could not keep up without the additional support.

At Emmaus House Food Bank in St. John’s, a local organization supported by the association, chairperson Rudy Singleton says the need has expanded far beyond what the food bank was originally designed to handle.

“It was set up to serve the centre of the city, but we have patrons coming from far and wide with the increasing need for food banks,” he shared.

Emmaus House provides both full hampers and emergency support, helping families bridge the gap between pay periods or simply get through the next day.

“The quality of the food we get is as good as what’s in your cupboard or mine.” Rudy noted.

Meeting the demand, he says, would be nearly impossible to maintain without the food supplied through the Community Food Sharing Association and Second Harvest.

“We’re now getting families where [both parents] are working, but because of the costs [of living] they just can’t meet the needs of the family.” Rudy explained.

Despite the growing demand, Singleton says the food bank’s commitment to their community remains unchanged.

“We don’t ever deny anyone food,” Rudy shared, “we operate on a principle that we’d rather be duped than deny. Dignity is the underlying principle of our operation.”

 Similar pressures are being felt by organizations across the province, including at the Single Parents Association, a group dedicated to supporting single-parent families.

“Over the last two years, situations have become much more demanding on parents,” Nick Kelly from the Single Parents Association, shared, “for a lot of these moms and dads, it’s a perfect storm every single day.”

Having worked with Community Food Sharing for six years, Nick says the organization plays a critical role beyond simply providing food.

“This organization is just a really fabulous group of people. They do tremendous work not only for our food bank but all food banks.” Nick said.

Rudy echoed that sentiment.

“It meets a need, that to put it quite frankly, otherwise would not be met,” he said. “If the food banks weren’t there, I wonder how some people would put meals on the table for their families.”