Brockville, Ont. food bank welcomes families, raises awareness with 1st annual fun fair

The Brockville and Area Food Bank held an event on Saturday to thank the community for all their support, and to fundraise and bring awareness to the hunger problem that is affecting the region.

With the help of sponsors like Mark Neuman Desjardins Insurance, the first ever Dare to Care Family Fun Fair was free for anyone to attend.

A sign posted at the Brockville and Area Food Bank's Dare to Care Family Fun Fair. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

"We're just trying to support Brockville and donate a lot of money to the food bank because it's really well needed," said the Stone family, admiring the horses on site.

It's the first fundraiser the food bank has held in almost 10 years, when they held a capital campaign to build their warehouse in 2013.

"We wanted to make the fair really inclusive and family friendly," said Brockville and Area Food Bank Executive Director Hailie Jack. "A place where people can come out and celebrate exactly what the food bank is about and really feel how joyful of a place we are."

Jack said they have noticed an increase in users in recent months, up 45 per cent from this time last year.

"September and heading into Christmas is historically our busy season, so the fact that we're already seeing it 45 per cent busier is very telling that we are coming into a much busier season," she added.

"We've had 13 per cent new people this year coming in so those are people that have never had to come to a food bank before," Jack noted. "We're seeing a lot of people returning who might not have had to in a long time; our senior percentage has gone up also."

A pay what you can breakfast was offered and a silent auction was held inside the Brockville Legion, thanks to donations from local businesses.

New posters also adorned the walls, raising advocacy of the need for more affordable housing in the area and listing food bank stats.

"Food banks don’t want to exist, we want to close our doors," Jack said. "Canadians should have money to purchase their own food so continuing advocacy is so important.

"We are just preparing for a busy fall, making sure that we are there and available to help and definitely to drop the stigma," she added. "If you need the help, come in and see us. We are just like a grocery store and we have a lot of fun and I think that's shown today."

Children enjoyed bouncy castles, had their faces painted and there was even a fortune-teller on site.

Children enjoy the bouncy castles at the Brockville and Area Food Bank's first annual Dare to Care Family Fun Fair. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

"I love that Brockville is the type of community where lots of people come to try and pitch in wherever they can, and that's the same with businesses," said the O'Connor family.

Their son Logan said the pancakes were his favourite part.

"I think it's important to come out and support the community," they said. "Brockville is such a great place to live and there are lots of young families and some people need help, and it's always good to come out and pitch in."

The food bank also teamed up with the Cooperative Care Centre to help with the event. It was formed in 2020 to help find a place for those in need and facing homelessness.

"The food bank, they have been really big supporters of us and I think that’s a really good way to help them out as well and when Hailie approached us we were all in," said Shane Melcher.

"This is really giving back to the community. The community, just like many other communities, it's been hard for people, so this is way to kind of reach out and support those families that are in need," he said. "It was a no brainer for us. It's really good to see all these people come out and support a good cause."

Families enjoying festivities at the Desjardins Insurance tent at the Brockville and Area Food Bank's family fun fair. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

"It's important for places and non-profits to work together," added Jack. "We have a lot of non-profits that we work with but the cooperative care centre is one that is always there for us."

The event was also scheduled to kick off hunger action month, with the city of Brockville naming Sept. 26 Hunger Awareness Day.

"I'm really, really proud of my team, thankful to my volunteers and overwhelmed by the support of our community and the people coming out," Jack said. "Lots of smiles here today."

Jack said the goal is to hold this event yearly going forward.