The community food pantry operated by the Lions Club has moved to a new location.
It can now be found behind the Community Services building located at 99 High Street.
The Bridgewater Lions Club community pantry is now located at 99 High Street behind the community services building. Photo: Evan Taylor.
The pantry was previously located at Souls Harbour Rescue.
Darrin Hutchinson is one of the volunteers who helped set up the first food pantry as well as the new one and says they’ve learned a lot since their first iteration.
“Our first one we were just learning as we went, we started with just a simple box with plexiglass windows,” said Hutchinson. “We’ve since learned they need to be insulated to protect from the cold and heat, along with other things,”
Hutchinson says he’s also been asked by other community groups looking to start community pantries so they can avoid the mistakes they made when they started.
“I always advise them to think about heating and extra storage,” Hutchinson said. “We’re still learning ourselves too and are thinking about ways to improve our pantry all the time.”
With the warmer months having arrived Hutchinson is also hoping gardeners and farmers with extra produce will consider making donations to the food pantry.
Things seem to be going well in the new location so far with Hutchinson saying donations and pick-ups are being made daily.
