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When people think about a food bank, they often picture shelves lined with canned goods and volunteers packing food hampers. While those are certainly important parts of the work, behind every successful community pantry is a great deal of planning, organization, and coordination. For the Mount Forest Community Pantry, having the right equipment behind the scenes is just as important as having food on the shelves.
Thanks to a grant from the Kindred Credit Union Charitable Fund, the pantry has been able to purchase new shelving and office equipment that is helping the organization work more efficiently, improve reporting, and better serve people experiencing food insecurity in the community.
Like many food banks across Ontario, the Mount Forest Community Pantry has experienced increasing demand in recent years. Rising grocery and gas prices, housing costs, and other financial pressures have made it more difficult for many individuals and families to make ends meet. The pantry provides food and essential household items to about 300 people each month, and they are open Tuesday and Fridays for food distribution.
As demand has grown, so has the need for a workspace that allows volunteers to organize inventory efficiently and manage the administrative work that keeps the pantry running smoothly. The Kindred Charitable Fund grant enabled the pantry to purchase new shelving to better organize food and supplies, along with office equipment that supports day-to-day operations.
While these improvements may seem modest, they have made a meaningful difference. “These purchases have made our pantry more efficient and organized which allows us to better serve community members,” comments Derek Bridgwater, Manager of the Mount Forest Community Pantry. Additional shelving creates a more organized storage area, making it easier for volunteers to locate, rotate, and stock food. Better organization helps reduce waste, improves efficiency, and allows volunteers to spend more time supporting community members rather than searching for inventory.
The new office equipment has also strengthened the pantry's administrative capacity. Staff and volunteers are now able to track information more effectively, produce reports more efficiently, and better measure the impact of their work. They are even working on building a website for the pantry.
At Kindred Credit Union, we believe healthy communities are built when organizations have the resources they need to thrive. Community impact is about more than funding direct services, it also means strengthening the infrastructure that allows organizations to expand their reach and serve people more effectively.
As food insecurity continues to affect communities across Ontario, organizations like the Mount Forest Community Pantry remind us that every contribution matters. Whether it's donating food, volunteering time, or supporting the systems that make their work possible, each act of generosity helps create a stronger, more caring community.
We're grateful to partner with organizations like the Mount Forest Community Pantry that continue to serve their neighbours with compassion, dignity, and hope every day.