The Sackville Food Bank is expanding access with a new Community Cupboard, which offers food and supplies to anyone in need, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Longtime food bank volunteers and sisters Tammy Fahey and Jacqueline Fahey are the team spearheading the project, which is currently in its pilot form, with a small re-purposed cupboard set up outside the Sackville Commons Co-op on Lorne Street.

“It’s just a cupboard where people can come and they can take some food,” says Jacqueline Fahey, “instead of having to wait maybe until Wednesday when the food bank is open. It just makes it a lot easier.”

In addition to the new Community Cupboard, the food bank is also adding an evening pick up time to its schedule, to make access easier for people with work or school commitments during the day. According to data from Food Banks Canada, more than half of food insecure households rely on employment income, meaning scheduling matters. “A lot of people are working,” says Fahey, they can’t get out [during the day.]” Starting next week on January 17, the Sackville Food Bank will be open Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

In the meantime, the Community Cupboard is stocked with weather-proof dry goods like cereal, soup and pasta mixes, and granola bars. There’s also other supplies like pet food, tampons, and even COVID-19 testing kits. The Fahey team says volunteers will be monitoring the supply closely. “We have one member that walks her dog up and down here all the time,” says Jacqueline. “So she can check [on it]… We’re very quick, very proactive. If something’s wrong, we’re going to know.” They are also open to suggestions for items to include in the inventory.

Not only can people pick up items at the Community Cupboard, but they can also drop off or trade items. “You just take what you need and leave what you can,” says Tammy Fahey. “If people just have things they want to donate, that’s fine.” If the Cupboard is too full for donations, then the Food Bank at 9 Willow Lane can take them.

For the time being, the Faheys are asking that donations be weather-proof, so excluding cans or jars that may freeze and be damaged. Eventually, an insulated structure which can house a fridge will take the place of the current cupboard. The new structure is being built by a shop class at Tantramar Regional High School, says Tammy, the same class who helped get the current cupboard set up.

“We’ll have heat in it and a fridge so that we can have fresh vegetables and milk,” says Tammy. “So we can put more in it, but it’ll be the same thing. It’s doesn’t cost anybody anything, they can just come when [they] need it.”

Tammy says that dozens of new households have signed on with the Sackville Food Bank since last spring, and there are people of all ages in need, including couch-surfing youth. “They are just 16, 17, but for some reason have to be out of home,” says Tammy. “So this way, they can come and grab something to help them.”

“It’s definitely for everybody,” says Tammy. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a teenager or if you’re 90 years old… Nobody should go hungry.”