Barrie Food Bank hosts open house to raise awareness of ‘exponential’ need

The Barrie Food Bank hosted an open house to offer partners, donors and clients a chance to see how it serves the hungry in the local community.

The Barrie Food Bank hosted an open house on Saturday afternoon to offer partners, donors and clients a chance to see how it serves the hungry in the local community.

During the tour, staff and volunteers showed what the food bank needs, and what clients experience from the moment they walk in until the moment they check out.

“The need in our community has been growing. It’s growing exponentially these days. It’s been growing steadily for years to be honest,” said Mike Gibbons, a volunteer and a member of the board of directors. “We want people to be aware of what we do in the community and the great service that we provide to customers who need our service, and it’s a great opportunity to learn.”

Dave Farrell, a Barrie resident, was on the tour and says his wife is also a regular food bank volunteer.

“Barrie’s keeping up with the donations, which is incredible because the amount of clients coming in has skyrocketed,” said Farrell.

The Barrie Food Bank has launched its annual Thanksgiving campaign with the goal of raising $250,000 and collect 150,000 pounds of food by the end of October.