A new food bank has opened in Nelson with plans to expand it to a bigger space next month.
Our Daily Bread, which has provided free hot meals to community members since 2002 from its location on Fell Street, is now offering non-perishable items to visitors. Nelson has two other food banks, but manager Tyler Bethune said the organization decided to open another after hearing feedback from clients in need.
“Even though we're doing the soup kitchen on the weekdays, people would complain the weekends were just super scarce," said Bethune.
"So our idea with the food bank is we're not just giving out hot meals that they can eat there and then, but we'll give out cans of beans, dried lentils that they can cook on the weekend as well.”
The food bank is currently operating out of the Our Daily Bread space, but Bethune said in December it will expand to the adjoining area that is the former home of the SPCA adoption centre.
Bethune said he is still working out best practices for the service, but right now clients are provided food based on need. On Nov. 21, Bethune said he handed out food to seven people with quantities ranging from just 300 grams to 15 pounds.
The Our Daily Bread food bank runs Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m.
Salvation Army also operates its food bank Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, and Nelson Community Food Centre offers its Good Food Bank program every other Wednesday.
