Her church's food bank nearly had to shut down for renovations. So this priest opened one in her garage | CBC News

"Rev. Gerlyn Henry said when renovations started at Church of the Holy Wisdom, she thought of the food bank's clients and what its closure would mean for them. Food banks used to be an emergency service and now it's an essential lifeline, said Henry. Most clients, she said, are community members. Most clients of the food bank are community members, Henry said, and she has individual relationships with many. If the food bank were to close, she would worry for them, she said. 'I'd be wondering, 'Did you eat today?'' she told CBC Toronto."

"For about six months, the food bank has been running out of the makeshift location. During its three-hour pop-up service on Tuesday evenings, metal shelves filled with canned food, dried pasta and loaves of bread line the perimeter of Henry's garage. With a team of volunteers at the helm, the food bank continues to serve about 300 people a week, Henry said."

"Linda Luciani is one of those volunteers. She said it was a priority for the food bank to stay close to its original location, as most people who access the service get there by foot. WATCH | This private chef is bringing gourmet taste to dishes at a Toronto food bank: A private chef is cooking up gourmet dishes for clients at the Fort York Food Bank using ingredients that would normally go to waste. Had we changed to a different location altogether or even shut down, then they wouldn't have that opportunity anymore, Luciani said. These people mean so much to us that it was important that we find a way to keep the process going."

Renovations at Church of the Holy Wisdom threatened closure of a Scarborough food bank, prompting Rev. Gerlyn Henry to move operations into her garage. She cleared shelves in the rectory's garage and set up metal shelving with canned goods, dried pasta and bread to run a three-hour pop-up service on Tuesday evenings. A team of volunteers operates the makeshift site and serves about 300 people weekly. Most clients are local community members who reach the site on foot, and staff maintain individual relationships with many. Volunteers prioritized staying near the original site so clients would retain access to the service.

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