Port SJ CEO Jim Quinn (left) with NB Food Bank Association Chair (outgoing) Ralph Wood (left), and others from Port SJ pose inside the new freezer.
The New Brunswick Association of Food Banks will now be able to help even more people, with the installation of a new deep freezer at Port Saint John.
With funding from Food Banks Canada, Enterprise Holdings and more, association found a new home for their frozen food products at the Port.
The new location, on King Street West, is near major roadways, making distribution to other food banks in the district easier, according to Paula Copeland with the Port.
“The idea is that a truck that may come and deliver for the whole district can come here, and then the various members of the district can come and pick up their goods here, so its more of a distribution facility for the actual operation,” she said in an interview.
Copeland says the installation is a “game changer” for everyone involved.
The new freezer will last for decades.
“They were dealing with two containers that were outdoors in the elements, and it wasn’t always the most ideal conditions because weather can be bad, and a lot of them are retired volunteers, so you want to have something that’s safe,” she said.
In the association’s District 4, food banks work to help hungry New Brunswickers from St. Stephen to Sussex. They provide pantry items, toiletries and dry food, as well as frozen food products, which they often receive in bulk through donations.
After 10 years of storing their frozen food products in two aging refrigerated shipping containers at Lower Cove, the banks needed a new, more durable solution, says Copeland.
In the summer of 2018, Port Saint John was approached by the association to find a location for a new, custom built refrigeration unit to receive and distribute these products for the 15 food bank locations across the District.
The new location keeps food and volunteers out of the elements, and is a big upgrade.
“They no longer have to worry about maintaining an old facility out of a container. This is contained within a building, so its all secure and safe,” she said.
Longevity was an important factor, and they hope the fridge will last for at least a couple decades.
