The Manna Food Bank will have to leave its current location at 345 Ecclestone Dr. in Bracebridge by April.
Bonnie Paterson, president, says they weren’t able to agree to a new lease.
She explains the current building gives them around 1,000 sq. ft., which Paterson says has been difficult to manage. She says the number of clients Manna served in 2023 compared to 2022 jumped 26 percent. The nearly 800 clients the food bank serves now is a 193 percent increase from 2019.
Paterson says they’re looking for a building that’s at least 3,000 sq. ft. but, ideally, they need one that’s around 8,000 sq. ft. and preferably centrally located.
“Sometimes we have 10 or 15 people standing outside so we’d like to get them inside,” she says.
Paterson adds the building on Ecclestone isn’t on the Bracebridge Transit route which leads to some clients walking or getting a ride from a friend. In the winter, the issue is compounded by the poor weather making it difficult for some to make the trip.
“It’s a lot to ask,” she says.
Susan Biehn-Smith, director on Manna’s Board of Directors, says the current building can sometimes be filled with 100 to 150 boxes for clients who order online. She explains it’s forced Manna to change its system and only pack orders when clients arrive.
Patterson says Manna supports nearly 800 people a month, adding the first three months of the year are usually the food bank’s busiest.
The change has turned out to be a positive, though, since Biehn-Smith says it allows the client and Manna volunteers to get to know each other. “It allows them to have more choices and more dignity,” she says. “They can have a conversation with us. We would like to continue that way.”
Paterson says “maybe our standards are too high” when talking about rent, noting that for decades they weren’t required to pay it. She adds it was only recently they were asked to pay every month.
While agreeing they may have to pay rent, Paterson hopes Manna can be subsidized.
Paterson says between 2019 and 2023, Manna’s food-related expenses have risen 193 percent so she’s hopeful whatever agreement is made allows them to focus on their clients.
With meetings scheduled to discuss the next steps, Paterson is hopeful an agreement can be made in the next month. It would give them enough time to prepare their new space and let clients know about the change.
“I’m fully confident they will be able to find us,” says Paterson.
