Sharing Places

I was shopping at the Orillia Farmer’s Market recently when I came across a booth that had a banner reading “The Sharing Place Food Centre.”  I was curious so I stopped to speak to the two young people who sat behind the display table.  They explained to me that the Orillia Food Bank had changed it’s name to “The Sharing Place Food Centre”  when it moved to a larger new building.  They told me that the organization had partnered with the big supermarkets in Orillia who were now donating surplus  fresh produce to The Sharing Place.  They received 20,000 lbs of produce in July of this year. 

This means that people who don’t have enough money to buy healthy food can now receive fresh fruit and vegetables.  Frozen meat is also being donated before it’s expiration date.  In addition to this, they have stopped doing a needs assessment for customers and allow anyone who feels they need a food bank to come and shop.  The Sharing Place is also providing cooking classes to teach clients how to make healthy meals and a garden club.  On the home page of their website is the quote “A healthy community through access to nutritious foods.”

photo from the Sharing Place websiter

 The young people told me that the supermarket staff are happy that they no longer have to throw good food into the garbage while there are hungry people in the same town.  I imagine the supermarket owners are also happy that they don’t have to pay to dump the food.

I felt very encouraged by this story.  It seems to me that someone had the imagination to do this differently.  It must have taken some leg work to partner with the supermarkets and to change the way the food bank did business.  They want to take away the stigma of using a food bank and restore dignity and health to people who can’t afford rent and good food.

I was told that other food banks were coming to The Sharing Place to get fresh produce for their clients.  There is enough for the Sharing Place to share with the other food banks.  I hope that others will adopt this model once they see it in practice.  It seems to be a win, win, win model.  Food is not wasted, it is diverted from the garbage system, people can be healthier and have better lives which creates a stronger community.  I have heard it said that we have enough food to feed everyone, but not enough to waste.

Later the same weekend, I decided to take a long swim in Georgian Bay along the shore.  The water was flat and warm and the early morning sun called me down to the lake.  As I returned to the beach where I had started, I heard voices and shovels hitting the stoney earth.  I could see people moving around at the top of the twenty foot drop off from the walking trail to the beach.

I pulled my dress on over my bathing suit and climbed up to the trail.  My partner was there talking to a group of people who were digging new flower beds.  These were the Talpines people, local cottage and home owners who had decided to create a perennial garden above the beach so that families who haven’t got cottages can have beautiful flowers to look at when they come to the beach. 

Part of the garden above the beach

The group had raised funds to buy perennial plants and acquired some support from the local Township to get a bench.  These people were very friendly and introduced themselves to us.  They were having trouble digging up a large stone, so my partner went to fetch his pickaxe.  I love gardening so I started to weed one of the beds they had planted a while ago.  People stopped as they walked or biked on the trail to see what we were up to.  The members took turns talking to the visitors and explaining what we were doing.  People seemed surprised to learn that the group was doing this to make the beach more beautiful. 

My partner and I helped to bring up mulch from the pile left by the township, weeded, watered, brought up logs and stones from the beach and generally fit in where needed.  It was a lot of fun to work with creative people who were enjoying creating beauty for the community.  The garden design was left to the member who was an artist and everyone someone just found their place.  It was peaceful and lovely to be a part of this group.  The artist finally asked one cyclist who stopped by to take a group photo of us with the flowers.

I don’t know the whole story of how this garden was conceived but once again, I could see the work of people who could imagine the area looking different, looking beautiful.  And then they set about doing the work to make it happen.  I have seen many people sitting on the bench looking over the garden to Georgian Bay and the setting sun.

The group has more ideas to enlarge this creation and they are excited as they talk about their plans.  Creating bring endorphins and creating with other people brings even more.  This will no doubt improve the mental health of those involved in creating it and those that enjoy the flowers.  It is a win, win, win project.

Perhaps these creations seem so precious to me because the news is filled with a different story.  But in the midst of all the trauma, are people with imagination who are just getting on with creating new stories.  And I want to be with those people.