Vision
A community where no one is hungry.
Mission
The Barrie Food Bank provides food relief to individuals and families in our community who are in need, and supports them on their journey towards well-being.
Our primary service is the provision of food to families and individuals to prevent them from going hungry. In addition to providing food for those in need, a key part of our program delivery is to encourage self sufficiency, as well as personal and family well being. A Resource Centre of brochures and literature is available for our clients to use referring them to other more knowledgeable services and agencies.
Our Principles
We recognize that those who come to us for food assistance may also have other needs including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual.
We encourage individuals and families to be hopeful, assisting with steps that they may take to meet their expressed needs.
We comfort, encourage, and challenge individuals and families to do all they can to help themselves.
We collaborate with community organizations to provide relevant resources to our clients.
We show compassion and respect for the dignity of those who come to us for assistance.
We recognize that those who come to us for food assistance may also have other needs including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual.
We encourage individuals and families to be hopeful, assisting with steps that they may take to meet their expressed needs.
We comfort, encourage, and challenge individuals and families to do all they can to help themselves.
We collaborate with community organizations to provide relevant resources to our clients.
We show compassion and respect for the dignity of those who come to us for assistance.
Staff
Sharon Palmer
Executive Director
Sharon joined the Barrie Food Bank in 2021 as Executive Director responsible for the overall management and leadership of the organization. She is passionate about providing food support to those in need in our community. Her goal at the food bank is to build a strong team of staff, volunteers, and donors to provide food support so that no one in our community goes hungry.
sharon@barriefoodbank.org
Marie Ali
Manager, Finance & Administration
Marie has been a member of the food bank team since April 2004, as our Administrative Assistant, Marie diligently handles the administrative details of coordinating the food drive mailings, handling financial donations, generating tax receipts, correspondence and bookkeeping. Marie is always willing to serve our volunteers, donors and the people who use our services.
Manager, Fundraising & Donor Engagement
Karen joined our team in September 2023 following a 30 year career in the grocery & consumer packaged industry. Starting as a volunteer, Karen knew this was the type of organization she wanted to be involved with. Now serving alongside our wonderful and dedicated volunteers and community supporters, Karen gets energized knowing that food will soon be in the hands of our neighbours in need.
karen@barriefoodbank.org
Michelle Runge
Manager, Client and Volunteer Experience
Michelle joined our team in January 2022. She is responsible for volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training and scheduling. Client service and experience, community outreach programs and collaborative partnerships. Michelle has a long history working in non-profits, customer service and tackling community barriers. She has a passion working directly with community members, and enjoys an inclusive and wholehearted collaboration.
michellerunge@barriefoodbank.org
Roberta Lowe
Front Desk Administrator and Intake Lead
Roberta joined the food bank team in February 2020. Roberta is the first response to our community members. She is responsible for deliveries and agency relations and Team Lead for client Intake. Roberta has a passion for serving people and thoroughly enjoys being part of this team.
James Ward
Operations Manager
James joined our team as Operations Manager in the fall of 2021. He is responsible for the overall operations of the warehouse, food purchasing, and food recovery from grocery stores, wholesalers, and farms. He is also responsible for the managing volunteer support in food collection, sorting and stocking. He has extensive experience in the food service sector. Born and raised in Barrie, James shares his love of people through food. Food is Love!
Paul Monahan
Warehouse Coordinator
Paul a veteran of our Canadian Armed Forces, joined our team in Fall of 2019. He is responsible for the organization of all food incoming including perishable and non-perishable. He oversees sorting, bagging and inventory. Paul manages all volunteer roles within the warehouse, delegating tasks in response to the need or demands each day. Paul, a true leader, who sets an example and creates an environment enjoyable for all working along side him.
John Del Monaco
Food Collection Representative
John joined the Food Bank as a volunteer in 2020 and became the “Food Collection Representative” in 2022. He is responsible for the morning food pickups from grocery stores, churches, schools and businesses. He has a deep passion for serving and helping those who are poor, oppressed and those who have found themselves on the fringes of society, both here in our community and around the world. Outside of work, he enjoys exercising, attending, and serving at a local church and spending lots of time with both family and friends.
Board of Directors
Chair
Ab Falconi
Ab Falconi has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2021. Ab, a retired Director of Education, supported students and staff for 32 years in York and Simcoe Muskoka. During that time Ab had carriage over the Food for Life portfolio which supported student nutrition programs across Simcoe, Muskoka, and Parry Sound. With expertise in governance, policy development, and finance, Ab seeks to assist the Board in solidifying their frameworks to effectively and efficiently support those in our community who need support and to assist in diminishing food insecurity in Barrie.
Vice Chair
Dan Brubacher
Dan currently works at Connexus Church in the role of Executive Director of Operations & Finance. Connexus loves to support the Barrie Food Bank and get behind other efforts to strengthen the community. Dan has served as a pastor in various local churches since 1999, helping to provide strategic leadership and operational effectiveness. He lives in Barrie with his wife, Carla, and four daughters, and considers it an honour to contribute his skills toward the vision of “a community where no one is hungry.”
Secretary
George Hawtin
George Hawtin joined the board of the Barrie Food Bank in early 2023. A Certified Human Resources Professional, librarian, and doctoral student specializing in board governance, George leads the Simcoe County Law Association library in the Barrie courthouse. Living with cerebral palsy, George has experienced the poverty and food insecurity that too often accompany life with a disability, and he’s passionate about making sure everyone in our community can access food.
Treasurer
Alan (AJ) Pieprzaz
Directors
Chris Salazar
Christopher is a partner at the Barrie law firm Stewart, Esten LLP. Having grown up in Barrie, Ontario, Christopher has been involved with the Barrie Foodbank since he was a high school student. When not working or volunteering his time, Christopher spends his time chasing around his four children. In his former life, Christopher was a world traveller, avid scuba diver and garage-band musician.
Lori Martin
A firm belief that access to food is essential for a healthy society, Lori Martin joined the board in 2020 to make a difference in her community. In her role as editor at the Barrie Advance, Lori had been interacting with the food bank to provide editorial and marketing support for many years. As well as seeing first-hand the tremendous impact the food bank has on those it serves, the role of director offers an opportunity to help make decisions today that will positively impact the lives of Barrie residents for years to come. Volunteering at the food bank is more rewarding than she ever imagined.
Linda Moorhouse