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Army invades city ... to help food bank move (7 photos)

25 soldiers from Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre assist local group; 'It's incredible ... how much you can do with so many hands'

No, the city did not call in the armed forces to help deal with today's blast of winter.

The 25 soldiers, dressed in green fatigues, that you might have seen in the downtown area Friday morning were here, however, to help The Sharing Place food bank pack up and move out of its cramped quarters at 22 West St. and into its new location at 95 Dufferin St.

"We had the first truck loaded within 45 minutes," said the food bank's executive director, Chris Peacock, as he helped the soldiers unload the truck at the facility's new home. "It's incredible how fast they work and how much you can do with so many hands."

Peacock put out the call to Base Borden to see if soldiers from the Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre would be willing to help. In short order, many signed up to lend a hand - many more than the 25 that were selected.

"If we didn't have their help, this would take us many, many days," said Peacock.

But with the soldiers' help, the move will be accomplished today. Just as important, thanks to the soldiers' help, Peacock was able to give the food bank's volunteers the day off.

"Many of our volunteers are really tapped out, as you can imagine, so it was great to be able to give them a little time off," said Peacock.

However, volunteers are the lifeblood of the agency. They will be working hard over the weekend and early next week to get the food bank's shelves stocked in time for its re-opening, at its new locale, next Wednesday.

The food bank has been looking for a new facility for years. Peacock said their long-time home on West Street is "not a dignified space."

So when Alex and Doug Barnett, owners of an empty industrial building on Dufferin Street, offered up their building for $480,000 - $145,000 below market value - Peacock jumped at the opportunity.

Because the food bank does not have the money available to purchase the building, they agreed to become a tenant in the building while working to raise enough money for the purchase and renovation of the building.

In recent weeks, volunteers have worked hard to transform the former automotive detailing shop into a welcoming, clean and user-friendly space for food bank patrons.

"It's come a long way," Peacock said Friday amid the flurry of activity in the warehouse side of the building. "We're really excited about our future here."

 


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Dave Dawson

About the Author: Dave Dawson

Dave Dawson is community editor of OrilliaMatters.com
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