The Salvation Army Owen Sound Partners with OSHaRE in Grey Bruce Food Share

The Salvation Army in Owen Sound will be home to Grey Bruce’s first “Fresh Food Food Bank,” a healthy shift in food options for families in need. As part of a merger, two local food banks in Owen Sound will better serve the community and ensure those struggling with food insecurity have nutritious food on the table.

Grey Bruce Food Share (GBFS) is a new innovative partnership between The Salvation Army Owen Sound Community and Family Services and Owen Sound Hunger and Relief (OSHaRE), which will provide healthy food options to over 700 people using the services every month.

GBFS is a collaboration that will benefit not only The Salvation Army and OSHaRE, but also serves as a hub specifically serving 25 other local food sharing agencies that assist those living with food insecurity in Grey and Bruce counties.

“OSHaRE and The Salvation Army have a long history of working together to provide food services in our community. Partnering together to support each other’s participants ensures no one goes hungry,” says Alice Wannan, Community and Family Services Manager at The Salvation Army Owen Sound Community Church.

GBFS will accept food donated by local grocery and retail store partners and distribute it to local charities and non-profits through a new location at 263-10th Street East in Owen Sound. GBFS is also stocked with surplus non-perishable food from grocery stores, restaurants and farms for use by local emergency food programs, food that would otherwise go to waste.

The Fresh Food Food Bank at The Salvation Army Community and Family Services will take the perishable fruit and vegetables donated to Grey Bruce Food Share and provide it to the 1,000 food bank clients assisted monthly by The Salvation Army. Each month, 11,000 pounds of fresh perishable food is given to GBFS by Second Harvest Food Rescue, keeping individuals and families fed and healthy in Owen Sound and across Grey and Bruce counties.

‘We’re so excited to be able to bring this healthy alternative to people and our clients are really wanting that healthy shift; but that healthy shift is also more expensive,” Alice says.

The new 2,500 square foot building in downtown Owen Sound is equipped with a full-service kitchen for food and meal preparation, a walk-in freezer, walk-in cooler, commercial fridges and freezers, and a ‘shopping room’ where partner food bank agencies can come and pick up the food they need for their clients.

“This will allow all our partnering agencies working hard to ensure people have enough healthy food, fresh produce, meat and non-perishable food to share it in their own community at no cost,” says OSHaRE Executive Director Colleen Trask.

Thank you to Grey Bruce Food Share’s valued community partners—Chapmans Ice Cream, European Bakery, Food Basics, Foodland, Giant Tiger, Metro, Wholesale Club, No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart and Zehrs.