Thunder Bay food bank closes indefinitely amid COVID-19 concerns

The Thunder Bay Food Bank has closed indefinitely due to staffing concerns amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The volunteer-run organization closed its doors on Monday, March 16, 2020. The food bank serves nearly 150 residents on a bi-weekly basis from their Miles Street location. 

A lot of our volunteers are elderly and are also looking after elderly family members so they don't want to jeopardize their health.- Myra Bjorn, board member, The Food Bank of Thunder Bay

Members of the organization noted that the majority of the volunteers at the bank are elderly, and have expressed concerns about continuing operation.

Myra Bjorn, secretary of the Food Bank board, has volunteered for the organization for the past 14 years. She is one of the many seniors who keep the food bank running.

"We tried to figure out some logistics of how we could serve people...and they could still get their food but there's just no way. We don't have the volunteers to package food up for them to meet them at the door," she said.

The board said they will continue to monitor the situation and reassess the logistics of opening again at the end of the month. Some of the supplies from the Food Bank will be shared with Shelter House and Dew Drop, which have closed their dining rooms but are offering take away meal to their patrons.

The rest of the non-perishable item from the Thunder Bay Food Bank will remain in the building and used when it reopens.

For a comprehensive list of cancellations and closures in the region visit CBC Thunder Bay's page dedicated to Coronavirus Local Updates.