Gleaners Food Bank receives Ontario Trillium Foundation grant

Gleaners Food Bank is continuing to be a leader in innovation thanks to a $91,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.

The grant, which was received earlier this year, has allowed the food bank to do upgrades and continue to make their facility the best it can be.

Susanne Quinlan,Director of Operations, shows off the new fridge at Gleaners Food Bank. (Photo: Amanda Smith/Quinte News)

Director of Operations Susanne Quinlan explains what the grant funding allowed the organization to do.

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The 11,000 square foot facility on Wallbridge Crescent serves 1,200 people every month.

The funding allowed the board to provide an accessible washroom as well.

Rosemary Rooke, an Ontario Trillium Foundation volunteer was on hand for the announcement and said the funds allowed Gleaners to become fully accessible and AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) compliant.

Quinlan told Quinte News she already has ideas for their next Ontario Trillium Foundation grant application as she hopes to have the warehouse completely off-grid and powered by solar energy before she retires.

The building currently has 72 solar panels on the roof and Quinlan wants 100 more to reduce their carbon footprint while lowering their hydro usage.

She noted their warehouse consumes most of their energy.

Susanne Quinlan, Director of Operations at Gleaners Food Bank, along with Belleville Councillor Ryan Williams and Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith. (Photo: Amanda Smith/Quinte News)

MPP Todd Smith was in attendance and as the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, the issue of food insecurity falls into his portfolio. He says the government is working to do as much as they can to modernize the way they do social services.

He says streamlining the way they deliver those types of services to the province’s most vulnerable is very important and that type of work is underway.