Its All in the Name...September 25 2014: The Board of the Minden Food Bank decided to change the name to the new name of Minden Community Food Centre. Although the purpose of the building has not changed; especially with regard to being a hub in Haliburton County for food distribution to other area food banks, the new name better reflects the geographical location of the building and reduces confusion with the food bank in Haliburton Village under the direction of the 4C's (Christian Community Concern Centre).
Here We Grow...
June 1 2014: Footings are being poured for the new addition that will become the Minden Community Food Centre.
When complete, the MCFC will have a new community kitchen, meeting space, increased dry, cold and freezer space. The MCFC will assist other County organizations by acting as a food acquisition and distribution hub. The large storage space will allow us to bulk buy product and take large quantity donations which we often have to pass up due to a lack of space. The kitchen will not only produce meals for others, it will also offer various programs to help people learn important food skills. |
Minden Food Bank Receives Support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation
April 4 2014
The Minden Masonic Hall, in collaboration with the Minden Food Bank, has received $150,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, to build an addition to the Arcadia Lodge in Minden that will house the new Minden Community Food Centre (MCFC). The Food Centre will house both the Minden Food Bank and new community kitchen.
The new building is located at the current site of the Arcadia Lodge on Newcastle Street in Minden. The first phase, recently completed, saw the current Arcadia Lodge set in back in place on the newly constructed lower level built last fall. This lower level is part of the increased storage area of the new MCFC.
Thanks to the recent Ontario Trillium Foundation funding announcement, the second phase has started and will see a 4600 sq ft addition to the current building which will house office space, a commercial kitchen area, integrated meeting space, accessible washrooms and other support facilities.
When complete the MCFC will become a food hub providing Haliburton County organizations enhanced opportunities to collaborate on food acquisition/storage and partner on developing effective programming to better support the community's efforts to address the issues of poverty and hunger. The increased food storage capacity will allow for acquisition of a greater variety and quantity of fresh produce and other perishable items that are often turned down because of limited facilities. Part of the MCFC vision is to act as a food hub to help support other County food banks and partner organizations that are limited in their types of storage and capacity. The full sized kitchen and attached meeting space will allow the food centre to offer various educational programs as well as prepare meals for clients
Estimated costs for the project are $470,000 and will be financed through various government and private sector development sources as well fund raising efforts
The Minden Masonic Hall, in collaboration with the Minden Food Bank, has received $150,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, to build an addition to the Arcadia Lodge in Minden that will house the new Minden Community Food Centre (MCFC). The Food Centre will house both the Minden Food Bank and new community kitchen.
The new building is located at the current site of the Arcadia Lodge on Newcastle Street in Minden. The first phase, recently completed, saw the current Arcadia Lodge set in back in place on the newly constructed lower level built last fall. This lower level is part of the increased storage area of the new MCFC.
Thanks to the recent Ontario Trillium Foundation funding announcement, the second phase has started and will see a 4600 sq ft addition to the current building which will house office space, a commercial kitchen area, integrated meeting space, accessible washrooms and other support facilities.
When complete the MCFC will become a food hub providing Haliburton County organizations enhanced opportunities to collaborate on food acquisition/storage and partner on developing effective programming to better support the community's efforts to address the issues of poverty and hunger. The increased food storage capacity will allow for acquisition of a greater variety and quantity of fresh produce and other perishable items that are often turned down because of limited facilities. Part of the MCFC vision is to act as a food hub to help support other County food banks and partner organizations that are limited in their types of storage and capacity. The full sized kitchen and attached meeting space will allow the food centre to offer various educational programs as well as prepare meals for clients
Estimated costs for the project are $470,000 and will be financed through various government and private sector development sources as well fund raising efforts
Introducing: The Minden Community Food Centre
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The Minden Food Bank, in partnership with the Arcadia Lodge have broken ground on a new Minden Community Food Centre facility which, when complete, will allow the Food Bank to provide better services and programming to its clients and to the community of Haliburton County.
The new building is located at the current site of the Arcadia Lodge on Newcastle Street in Minden. Space on the site was offered to the Minden Food Bank by the Masons to allow them the opportunity to build a more sustainable facility. Phase One (COMPLETED): Will see the replacement of the stone foundation of the Lodge with a new insulated concrete foundation. This area will become the storage area (walk in fridge/ freezer and dry goods) for the food bank/food hub operation of the Centre. |
The level entrance of the storage area will make it fully accessible and allow for convenient loading/unloading of food.
Phase Two (COMPLETED): A 2600 sq ft addition will be added that includes:
Phase Three (COMPLETED) will see the installation of kitchen equipment necessary to offer a Community Kitchen facility that will compliment the flexible meeting/teaching space and work areas. |
January 2014
Thank you to the Council of Minden Hills for their $10,000 contribution to our project. We sincerely appreciate your support as we progress on our mission to provide better facilities to really help people that need it.
Thank you to the Council of Minden Hills for their $10,000 contribution to our project. We sincerely appreciate your support as we progress on our mission to provide better facilities to really help people that need it.
October 2013
We greatly appreciate the support of the Haliburton County Development Corporation. Their valued assistance gave us the start we need to bring the Minden Community Food Centre project to life.
We cannot say enough about how valuable they are to this project and to Haliburton County.
We greatly appreciate the support of the Haliburton County Development Corporation. Their valued assistance gave us the start we need to bring the Minden Community Food Centre project to life.
We cannot say enough about how valuable they are to this project and to Haliburton County.
We're Helping the Community of Haliburton County
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Having a facility in our County that takes a collaborative and proactive approach to providing people in need with additional, healthier food options as well as valuable learning opportunities is an important step forward against the issues of hunger in our communities. We are taking that step with this project.
The vision and scope of this project follows the successful examples that have taken place in communities such as Toronto, Perth and Stratford among others. Our goals include the following:
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A Community Approach to a Community Problem
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The project is part of an integrated approach by the food bank and its partners to better address hunger and poverty in Haliburton County as well as be more responsive to the needs of the community as a whole. When complete, the Food Centre will have the following:
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