Sharing Place is a charitable organization made up of an eight member volunteer board of directors and twenty volunteer staff who administer the Orillia Food Bank. They are located at 22 West Street South in Orillia and are open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Charitable food services are offered other days of the week by St. Vincent De Paul and the Salvation Army.

Evans said "Food Banks should not exist, however hunger exists and we must meet that very basic need in our community." He told Rotary members how the facility attracts people from all over the region and is often the only venue that people with little or no means can turn to when they are hungry.

Last year the agency had over 10,000 visitors which included both individuals and families. In January of 2008 the Orillia Food Bank served 322 households including 122 families and 290 children. Each client is interviewed to confirm there is a need and all clients (including children) are required to possess an Ontario Health card. Clients who receive food are given enough to feed them for one week and are not permitted to re-apply for at least one month.

Evans gave three examples of the type of people they help which included an unemployed single mother of three children who comes in near the end of each month. The second example was a single adult male who works in the hospitality industry and is unable to read or write. The third was a family of four who lives on the father’s disability pension and the mother is looking for work.

Evans explained how most clients pay rent every month and do not have access to supplemental forms of income. Many are working poor with a median income of $843 per month. 39% of those served by the Orillia Food Bank are children. Evans provided details of a typical order for one week’s food which included non perishables like canned vegetables, pasta, macaroni and cheese, sugar, and rice. Evans said "We are trying to include more items like fresh vegetables and fruit, however these items are not always available."

Evans told Rotarians how 85% of the food distributed by the Orillia Food Bank is purchased by Sharing Place. "So the need for funds is always there." he said. Funding comes entirely from donations and donors can receive a charitable tax receipt. Evans said that Sharing Place is attempting to acquire two hydro efficient freezers to replace the older "power hungry" models they currently use.

Don Evans was thanked by club members Doug Cooper & Glenys Hepinstall who presented him with $132 collected from the Rotary members present at the meeting. Hepinstall said "We thank you for telling us about your service and want you to put this money toward the new freezers you so desperately need."

More information about Sharing Place and the Orillia Food Bank is available on their website at www.sharingplaceorillia.org.

The image you see the top of this webpage was painted by local artist Elizabeth Schamehorn. We gratefully acknowledge her permission in using this wonderful image of our local landscape. Please feel free to email her at Elizabeth Schamehorn.

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