THUNDER BAY – As the world embarks on a new post-COVID-19 era, food banks in Thunder Bay are trying to react with a new way of delivering food to the city’s most vulnerable.
On Thursday, in partnership with the Redwood Food Bank Clients, the Regional Food Distribution Association launched its first tailgate food bank.
Held outside the Redwood Opportunities Centre on Edward Street, it acted as a streamlined method to screen clients in need with a reduced series of questions, while keeping track of those already using the service.
Clients, once approved, then were given a hamper of essentials, mostly non-perishable in nature, from the back of an RFDA truck, with social-distancing spaces maintained to protect both workers and volunteers and members of the public.
Dianne Matson, general manager of the Redwood Park Food Bank, said after overcoming a couple of early obstacles, the process seemed to run fairly smoothly.
“We usually operate out of the basement of this building, but as you can see today, we’re all standing outside. We’re operating in a limited capacity with a small number of volunteers and we’re working with RFDA in a totally different model than we usually run,” Matson said.
“We’re interviewing people outside and we’re interviewing them in a very reduced capacity … People are in and out in a couple of minutes, rather than their usual long-term stay here as we gather and choose.”
The hampers are not as full as they might be under normal circumstances, and don’t include staples such as baby food or formula, or pet food, for example.
The goal is to expand the idea to other food banks, so that clients can still come to their usual outlet, despite the restrictions and changes in place.
However, with some food banks closing their doors during the outbreak, some changes are inevitable.
Volker Kromm, executive director of the RFDA, said it’s simply a matter of finding ways to feed the hungry, while still observing regulations put in place under the outbreak protocol.
“We want to make sure we have ways to ensure the hungry people here in Thunder Bay, who are very dependent on food banks, find a way to safely access some food,” Kromm said.
“We’re working with a number of food banks now to pilot this project. Today was the first and we’re trying to see how we can keep the crowds apart and how we can deliver the food.”
Kromm acknowledged it’s trying times in the food bank industry, and the problem is only going to get worse as more and more people are laid off from their jobs.
“There will be a lot of new people coming. So we’re doing a number of things. A, we’re appealing to donors. And B, we’re appealing to the city and to the funding agencies, which have all stepped up,” Kromm said. “The city has indicated they will support, as has the United Way, as has the Thunder Bay Community Foundation – and even the Trillium Foundation is relaxing some guidelines.”
The tailgate food bank will shift venues on Friday, operating out of the parking lot at the Thunder Bay Food Bank on Miles Street.
