Huron County Food Bank – Community Spotlight

“No one makes a choice to go hungry”

That’s the filter through which the passion and inspiration to help others begins when talking with Executive Director, Mary-Ellen Zielman.

“People don’t use food banks because they are lazy or want to – they use them because they don’t have a choice. They are people like you and I who have hit hard times,” says Zielman, “We are blessed to live in an agriculturally rich county with an abundance of food. The role of the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre (HCFBDC) is to store, manage, and properly distribute this wealth – through the appropriate channels to ensure no one is left hungry.”

The biggest need is always produce, milk, and eggs. Monetary support goes a long way in helping obtain these staple items, as the centre has been able to secure strong buying power through wholesale networks.

“We could not survive without the generosity of our volunteers and the individuals and businesses who donate to our mission,” acknowledges Zielman.

In 2016, HCFBDC delivered over 620,000 lbs of food to food banks and aid agencies. To illustrate the significance of this; 1lb of food = 1 meal on average, so as you can see the need is great! Of course, none of this is even possible without the continued support of amazing volunteers and strong partnerships from the business community.

As an Excalibur Team, we want to thank Mary-Ellen and her team for the great work they do – but we especially want to acknowledge some of the best volunteers in Huron County, who – according to Zielman – happily donate approximately 100 hours each week.