‘The shelves are bare’: Paris food bank and little free pantry in dire need of donations

Brant County families arrived at the Paris Salvation Army food bank on a recent Monday in hopes of getting sustenance to get them through tough times. But the food bank had to lock up early. Their shelves were empty, they had run out of food.

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It’s the first time in nearly 19 years with the organization that William Ratelband, a community and family services co-ordinator for the charity, has been in that situation.

“That’s not something we ever want to do,” he told The Spectator.

Ratelband pieced together what he could for some of the 16 or so families who visited that day, and told others if they could come back on Thursday there would be more items.

Now, he’s trying to build back an inventory.

“No fresh food, no frozen food and the shelves are bare! Please reach out and donate today!” he wrote in a local Facebook group.

A report from the Brant County Health Unit showed that around one in six households in Brantford-Brant was food insecure in 2023, meaning they had “inadequate access to nutritious food due to a lack of money.”

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There are currently about 200 individuals visiting the Paris food bank — a marked increase in the small town with a population of around 15,000, Ratelband said.

Beyond the volume, he said he’s seeing “a lot of things I didn’t use to see,” such as working families and seniors needing the resource.

“We are in this cost-of-living crisis,” meaning a higher need for both families and the organizations trying to help them, he said.

People who used to regularly donate food or money aren’t in a position to anymore.

“Everybody’s feeling it,” he said.

But anything helps — even extra produce from the garden, Ratelband said.

The organization also accepts grocery store gift cards, online monetary donations, and items for the fridge and freezer, such as milk, eggs, margarine, frozen meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.

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But the traditional non-perishable items — like soups, hot and cold cereals, and canned fruits or vegetables are still needed, and multicultural food items are appreciated too, he said.

If people don’t have food or money to spare, but want to help, they can volunteer, or talk to politicians and advocate for changes to “broken” systems, like social assistance and the need for a living wage, Ratelband said.

Because the reality is, most people are “just a paycheck away” or “just one thing that doesn’t go right” from needing help, he said.

Little Free Pantry

Not far away on Elm Street, the shelves of the Little Free Pantry of Paris were bare the following morning — saved for two mystery bags of grains.

It’s a community initiative to help make sure everyone in the community has access to food, but not intended to replace the food bank, which is typically restricted to one visit every 30 days.

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But lately, it’s not staying full very long either.

“We have some good weeks and we have some bad weeks, but I found this summer has been next to nothing,” volunteer Kathy Vankonynenburg told The Spectator.

Neighbors are encouraged to leave goods when they can and take some items when in need.

But on top of dwindling donations, Vankonynenburg said there’s a concern that some people might be “hoarding” items from the pantry, which operates on the honor system.

She helps collect pantry donations from the bins at the exit of the Paris Sobeys and Jay’s No Frills — where there’s also a collection bin for the Salvation Army.

However, there are usually few items, other than when store owner Jay Rahn fills the bins himself, she said.

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“What he’s done for the people of Paris is just amazing,” she said.

When she’s at the grocery store, Vankonynenburg said she likes to look for sale items, and buys multiples to leave in the pantry.

Personal care items, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, tampons, shampoo and conditioner, are always appreciated “because those things are really expensive,” she said.

The pantry is located on the grounds of the Optimist Club of Paris. On the other side of the Optimist clubhouse, four large garden plots sprout vegetables like kale, tomatoes and bell peppers, which will end up in the pantry once harvested, Optimist member Marilyn McCulloch told The Spectator.

And it all helps.

“If you’ve got five bucks here, five bucks there, you’re doing something,” even if you think it’s not going to do much, “it does,” Ratelband said.

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Resources

If you need help visit the County of Brant’s website for a list of food banks and food panties. Feed Brant also offers food resources, including a map of food banks, pantries, and community meals in Brantford and Brant County.

If you are able to help call 519-442-3432 or 519-752-7814 or email [email protected] to donate to the Paris Salvation Army food bank.

Non-perishable donations for the Little Free Pantry of Paris and food bank can be left in the pantry or bins at the exit of Jay’s No Frills and Paris Sobeys.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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