Ingersoll Rotary Club opens warehouse to fight food insecurity

Rotary Club members Adam Funnell and President John Pettit hold the ribbon for Doug Yates while Ted Comiskey cuts the ribbon. (Lee Griffi photo)

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The building still needs a bit more work before its tenants can move in, but club’s Charitable Warehouse opened last Monday following a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Rotary member, donors and local dignitaries.

The renovated building on Ingersoll Street South was made possible with donations from local businesses and volunteers and it will eventually serve as the permanent home of The FOOD Project, a coalition of 10 charitable organizations. The project is the first of its kind anywhere in the area.

Former Ingersoll Mayor and Rotary member Ted Comiskey came up with an idea to create a common space where charities had a permanent space to work together to decrease food insecurity. He explained the building has undergone a huge transformation.

“I don’t know how to express it. When we took the plywood off the doors and we in, we said oh boy. We had such a hill to climb but I can only express my thanks to the people of Ingersoll who stepped up to the plate and made it possible through the funds required to put this building back into useful shape.”

The Rotary Club signed a ten-year lease with General Motors Canada to retrofit what used to be a CAMI gymnasium into a 6,000-square-foot warehouse.

“I can’t thank GM enough for letting us use this building. I think it was slated for demolition but now it’s got a use again, it’s got a life that is more useful than most buildings in this town. I don’t think there will be an issue at the end of 10 years, unless they need the land, we’ll likely have a home here.”

A total of $120,000 was raised to make the necessary renovations and Comiskey explained local people are well ware of need in the community.

“I guess it’s recognizing the need and that’s what they’ve done. If the need isn’t out there then it isn’t on the hearts and minds of many people. But it is out there and Ingersoll is great for helping their fellow man and this proves it.”

Having as many as 10 charities with the same goal under one roof has many advantages, not the least of which is breaking down silos where people in need can come and get food from any one of the groups.

“That’s my can of beans here, that’s your can over there. No, there’s two cans of beans for whoever needs them and that’s the whole thing. We have a lot of volunteers but we never have enough and we don’t want to burn them out. If you can make the job easier you are going to have more people step up to the plate and have them for a longer period of time. Because they are all under the same roof they can help each other,” said Comiskey.

He added the Ingersoll facility will be there for anyone across Oxford who needs help.

“You don’t turn anybody away and I’m sure the FOOD Project will recognize that.”

Paula D’Orazio is chair of The FOOD Project , said the facility will house several charitable groups working together to expand their reach.

“We have so many charities who are going to be joining the coalition here and so many of us helping one another instead of working in separate silos which we do currently. We are going to be coming together and giving everything we can to those in need. We’re pretty excited about this and me, I’m over the moon!”

D’Orazio explained they will be able to contact farmers and grocery stores and stockpile groceries in one central location.

“Send it to the warehouse. Keep it out of the landfills. Let’s get it into people’s bellies instead. Along that wall we are going to put the freezers and over there we’ll have a three-compartment sink along with racking in all the isles where we can put produce. We are going to have everything you can get at a grocery store including toiletries and sanitary supplies.”

A back door still needs to be installed and a concrete pad poured being the building for trucks to unload goods, but D’Orazio expects to be operational in the very near future.

“I think this is going to put Ingersoll on the map. It’s going to be huge for Oxford County and everyone should get involved. We’re definitely going to need more voliunteers.”