The executive director of the Barrie Food Bank is retiring after watching the organization navigate an unprecedented increase in need and a global pandemic.
Sharon Palmer, 62, is looking back at the past three years and what needs to change to address the underlying issues of food insecurity.
Palmer took on the role in March 2021, one year into the pandemic, when many organizations had to rethink how they serve residents and with so many people in the community in need of support.
Since she started it, the food bank has expanded its hours and days of operation and changed the way it serves residents, but Palmer said it’s the people who have had the biggest impact.
“I think if you haven’t been here and volunteered and haven’t needed services yourself, it’s hard to appreciate what it means for someone to be able to come here and get food support,” Palmer said.
“It’s never an easy decision for someone to admit they need help, so we’ve seen this huge outpouring of gratitude. (It) keeps you humble and makes you realize how much of an impact you have on other people’s lives in your everyday life.”
Barrie Food Bank Executive Director Sharon Palmer is retiring.
Provided by Barrie Food Bank
Palmer said she has been impressed not only by the clients but also by the staff, volunteers and community members during her time at the food bank. She said she has been particularly impressed by the “enormous generosity” that the people of Barrie have given to the food bank.
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“It’s been really heartwarming to see so many people step up and support us in whatever ways they can,” she said.
Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Palmer recalled that the focus of the first year was to adapt to the new rules to keep stores open and people safe. The focus of the second year was to reorganize the food bank's service model from pre-packed groceries to a self-service shopping model, allowing people to choose their favorite foods more autonomously.
“The self-service model is better in terms of efficiency and it's a better experience for people who need to use the food bank. So that's been a big shift for us,” Palmer said.
She said the final year was focused on unprecedented growth in demand.
“When I first got here, we had 60 to 70 customers a day, which was a lot. We were only open three days a week for a few hours a day. Now we have 260 customers a day, four days a week, and longer hours,” she said.
The Barrie Food Bank, like many other food banks across Canada, is challenged to meet growing demand, which has only become more severe in the wake of the global pandemic and high inflation.
A 2023 report from Relief Canada found that 57.3 per cent of charities were unable to meet current levels of need and 31.5 per cent raised less money than the previous year.
“The ebb and flow of food is always a challenge. Sometimes there's more food, sometimes there's less food, but it's something we always focus on, especially with food rescue, and our main event,” Palmer said.
Looking to the future, and her aspirations after leaving office, Palmer said the focus needs to be on addressing the root causes of food insecurity.
“It’s about advocating for change from a policy perspective,” she said, pointing to housing affordability, low wages and income supports like the Ontario Jobs Program, disability pension benefits, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).
Although she will step down in August, she is optimistic about what comes next.
“It's a special place. I'm going to miss it terribly, to be honest, but I also know that other people will take over with different skills and do an amazing job. It's a great place to be and witness everything that happens here,” she said.
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