Good news for Kingston food bank

By Lawrence Powell

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com



Harley Hazelwood is delighted that the food bank in Kingston won’t have to pay municipal taxes anymore.

“It makes me feel fantastic that finally this is going to be put to rest,� he said. “This has been going on for three years.�

The manager of the Upper Room Food Bank was reacting to a private members bill passed in the Nova Scotia Legislature recently that removed the taxes after a three-year dispute

Kings West Liberal MLA Leo Glavine, who introduced the bill, said he was pleased with the positive outcome. Glavine said the food bank shouldn’t have been required to pay taxes on its building, but a municipal by-law required it.

“More than 500 families in the area use this food bank,� said Glavine. “This legislation means more money will go into providing much-needed food for these families instead of being forced to use it to pay taxes.�

Glavine said support from local councilors Wayne Atwater and Dianna Brothers, who entered a motion in support of the legislation at a council meeting, helped the bill get passed. He also commended the board of the food bank for their perseverance in getting the taxes removed.

Hazelwood said the taxes were paid the first year after the new building was constructed on Village property, but the board of directors of the facility voted not to pay after that. Over several years $2,500 in back taxes has piled up.

“This translates into us being able to do more for the people we serve,� Hazelwood said Friday.

And the good news couldn’t have come at a better time.

“At the present times we’re very busy,� said Hazelwood. “We’re looking at major numbers for the month of November.�

In fact, those major numbers are staggering even for Hazelwood. In a week and a half in November the Upper Room served 80 families. The average for any given month is 115 families. As of November 24 this year he and his helpers had handed out food to 123 families. Last November the figure was 126 families for the entire month. There were eight new families in November last year.

“We’re up to six new families for the month of November this year and we expect it will continue through Christmas,� he said.

And he speaks from experience. Last December the Upper Room welcomed 11 new families.

“The situations (families find themselves in) seem to be piling up,� Hazelwood said. “There may be no snow right now, but people are buying oil to fill their tanks. And with Christmas coming people are trying to figure out how to take care of their children. They need help.�

He said that when the festive season is over, people shouldn’t stop being supportive. The months with the lowest donations to food banks are January, February, and March.