Photographer Weekes captures a spirit of giving at the Oromocto Food Bank

Published by CBC Communications

I’ve never had a direct link to food insecurity, but I know families that use food banks and some that even “dumpster dive”, partly because of the enormous waste generated by our supermarkets and partly because of circumstance.

The issue of food insecurity led me to apply for – and receive – a grant from the Canada Council that will allow me to start my own “every person project” about how we shop for our groceries.

So being assigned to work at the Oromocto Food Bank provided an incredible opportunity to see “another side” of this ever-growing concern that affects us all.

Jane Buckley, Managing Director of the Food Bank, leads a team of enthusiastic volunteers, mostly retired people with a dash of students and a few others who are still employed.

What they present is a well-oiled and nurturing machine where each volunteer knows their role and the good they are doing as a result. I was immediately welcomed, which made my conversations and information search easier. My photos show the effort and coordination required to provide good food to those in need.

Behind a camera, I’m usually detached from the events around me, but seeing the incredible amounts of food that would normally be wasted being put to good use brought a tear to my eyes.

The hope that is in every food box, backpack and Christmas present made possible by the Oromocto Food Bank shows that no one should be without it.

I learned a lot from this experience.

Portraits of Kindness is a visual project in which CBC Atlantic commissions photographers to visit their local food bank and capture acts of kindness through their lens. The project coincides with that of CBC Do a seasonal child campaign in support of food banks in Atlantic Canada.