Sudden closure of Hantsport Food Bank

Dec. 12/12

When Food Bank clients pick up their hampers today, they will have no idea that the food bank is closing. They will be advised that in emergencies, they can contact Feed Nova Scotia, according to Co-ordinator Shirley Bishop. 

Shirley has heard that Kimberly Dunbar, who currently works at Mud Creek Convenience in Wolfville, has purchased the building and intends to make it into a convenience store and coffee shop. 

As of Thursday, Dec. 13, the food bank must relocate. It has found space at the Recreation office and the Tennis office. The new owner has a planner coming in to estimate how much space she will need. 

"We have risen from the ashes before," Shirley said. "Sometimes a crisis situation is needed to bring about change. We have financial resources to pay for a few months rent." 

From Brian Bishop  Dec. 11/12

The latest on our Food Bank situation.  Our building has been sold and our future is up in the air at this time. The building sold much sooner than anyone expected!

 Our December food boxes and Christmas hampers go out tomorrow.----- 50 families.  We will be advising our clients that we will be closed until we find a new location.  At this point the new owners haven’t determined the space they will require for the business they are going to open in January.  What we do know is that they will need much of the space we presently use.  We have made arrangements to store our shelving, freezers, etc. in a facility on the Community Centre property and have had numerous offers for food storage.  The new owner is giving us time to find storage before we have to move our food and there is a possibility that we may be able to negotiate space in the present warehouse but renovations will be needed if that can be arranged.  We really won’t know this until we meet with the new owner later this week.  I think this will be our third relocation in the past five years.  The closure will come as a shock to our clients as we thought we were going to be able to stay in the building for several more months.  There was, unfortunately, a breakdown in communication as well as a lack of understanding in respect to just how much space we require in order to operate.  For the time being we can still receive food and financial donations.