A new chapter is beginning for one of Vancouver Island’s largest food recovery organizations, with Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank officially opening a new $16-million regional hub in Nanaimo. The Tom Harris Regional Food Centre, located on East Wellington Road, gives the organization more than 24,000 square feet of purpose-built space, more than four times the size of its former facility on Frye Street. The opening marks the culmination of a six-year effort to find a location that could keep pace with the growing demand for food recovery and distribution. “We realized we didn’t have enough room at our facility at 210 Frye Street,” says Peter Sinclair, executive director of Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank. The new centre was made possible through contributions from all three levels of government, with the City of Nanaimo purchasing the land and leasing it back to the organization for $10 a year. “The city bought the land and leased it back to Loaves & Fishes for ten bucks. It’s a good investment,” says Nanaimo mayor Leonard Krog. The facility honours the legacy of the late Nanaimo businessman and philanthropist Tom Harris. His foundation contributed $750,000 toward the project. “We believe that organizations like this need to be given the energy and the funds and the resources that they need to do that amazing work,” says Tony Harris, founder and chair of the Tom Harris Community Foundation. Inside, the new centre has room for up to 800 pallets of food, dramatically increasing the organization’s ability to accept and distribute large donations. That capacity was already being put to the test following a recent donation involving 10 tractor-trailers of food. “Probably 260 pallets, and then it enables us to take our existing operations of food recovery and expand it,” Sinclair says. Food recovery is a major part of the organization’s work. The program collects surplus food from grocery stores that would otherwise go to waste and redirects it to people and organizations that need it. “We discovered there actually is an abundance of food out there. And we started with one grocery store and we’ve grown it to over 40 now,” Sinclair says. That growth has allowed Loaves & Fishes to extend its reach well beyond Nanaimo. The organization now supports more than 100 non-profits, serving communities from Victoria to Haida Gwaii, while also providing free food markets in several Island communities. The demand is significant. So far this year, 9,921 people have made 103,692 visits across the Loaves & Fishes network of Free Food Markets. With the additional space and infrastructure now in place, the organization says it wants to build on that momentum. “There are communities that would benefit from Loaves and Fishes services. And so we’re committed to bringing those services there,” Sinclair says. While the new centre provides room for growth, the organization says its work would not be possible without the people who keep it running. Volunteers remain essential to its food recovery, sorting and distribution operations, and Loaves & Fishes is encouraging more people to get involved. Those interested in volunteering can find opportunities through the organization’s website at vifoodbank.org.
