Growing food insecurity in Prince Edward County means the Food Bank is making plans for a new, full scale facility.

In a deputation to Prince Edward County’s Affordable Housing Corporation earlier this year, Organizing Committee member Yvonne Buys asked the Corporation to explore the possibility of setting aside two acres at the Niles Street lot. It owns the former Dukedome site. It is earmarked for an affordable housing project, although there are no concrete plans at the moment.

Through dialogue and community discussion, other suitable locations may arrive.

“Niles Street is the first option we’ve explored and we see great potential there but there may be others,” said Ms. Buys. “We really want to get our message out to Council and the public that Storehouse has outgrown the church. We have a plan and the funds to make the vision a reality. Now, we just need to find the land in Wellington to make it all happen.”

A pledge from a benefactor through The County Foundation for $1 million will help. The Rotary Club of Wellington is leading further fundraising. A proposed 2-acre site would serve community needs beyond food bank services. Space for a satellite child care centre and a commercial kitchen available to community groups are part of the design.

With these visions percolating in the minds of volunteers and organizers, Storehouse President Cynthia Riordon was before Council July 22 to pitch a plan to relocate the Wellington institution to a new home within the village.

She explained that in 2024, Storehouse served over 4,500 individuals, a 35 percent year-over-year increase. In fact, the number of families in western Prince Edward County has increased every year since 2021. The current year will be no exception.

“The church has served us so well over the previous decades but we are outgrowing the space,” Ms. Riordon explained. The basement of the church on West street is the hub of the Food Bank’s operations. There are eight fridges and a half dozen freezers running at all times. There have been instances where breakers have been tripped on the electrical panel, leading to food spoilage.

Without a loading dock, or even a semblance of one, it is difficult to accept large pallet deliveries from regional food production companies donating extra stock.

An army of loyal volunteers, whose average age is 72, must negotiate sets of stairs to bring donations into the pantry and fridge/freezer area. Narrow stairs are an impediment on pick-up day, when volunteers hand off prepared food boxes to clients.

“This new model is a lot like a grocery store, where the focus is on accessibility. Clients will be able to go and pick the things they want,” Ms. Riordon said, adding that a new space will allow Storehouse to mitigate cultural, dietary and allergy concerns.

“We have all the pieces of the puzzle except the land,” she said