The project has been in the works for a few years, but this is the first time it is approaching the finish line.
A new community food bank is scheduled to open this summer in Tillsonburg. The project will utilize Helping Hand Food Bank to help them through the storage, collecting, and sorting process, ensuring overall efficiency.
Jason Weiler of the Tillsonburg Rotary Club says this is intended to augment the other food banks, not replace them.
The food bank will be located on the Station Arts Centre Grounds. The plans are for a small shed or a small pantry. Initial access is to be on Tuesday and Thursday. Donations will be sorted and then stored depending on if they need to be refrigerated.
According to Food Banks Canada, in March of 2025, close to 2.2 million people visited food banks across Canada, a new record.
While the project is in the early stages, Weiler says that community assistance is still needed.
The food bank committee will also have a youth representative and they hope to be able to find volunteers when they're up and running.
Once the food bank is getting close to up and running, they will shift focus to operations and finding volunteers. More information on the Tillsonburg Community Pantry can be found here.
