Local food bank opens Second Chances Thrift Store
The demand for Sackville’s Food Bank is growing, but the bank’s space is not. In response, Sackville and District Assistance Centre is opening the Second Chances Thrift Store for furniture and household donations. Money raised at the thrift store will go directly to the funding and supporting of the Food Bank with long-term goals of paid staff and additional space.
The Sackville Food Bank has been in operation for 39 years, and has remained located at 9-B Willow Lane since it was founded in 1986. Founders included: Dr. Marilyn Trenhome Counsell, former MLA of Tantramar and Lieutenant-Governor of N.B.; philanthropist Fran Smith, Mt. A alumnus and Sackville volunteer; and Lorne Bell, another Mt. A grad and major contributor to greater Tantramar. The caring community spirit displayed by the Food Bank’s founders carried on, establishing the core values of today’s volunteers. The food bank has always been volunteer-run by members of the community, with the goal of supporting food distribution, education, food literacy, and advocacy for food security.
The Sackville Food Bank has contributed to the community greatly for several years, but it had an uptick in need since the pandemic. In 2022, N.B. ranked second in household food insecurity among the provinces of Canada, and that report saw and predicted a significant increase in severe food insecurity from year-to-year since 2021. As inflation rises, small food banks like Sackville’s have been expanding. Sackville Food Bank became a nationally regarded medium food bank (5,000-9,999 donors) in 2023, and will soon be likely to be classified as large (10,000 or more donors) demand grows.
One step towards supporting these needs is the opening of the Second Chances Thrift Store. The idea for this social enterprise stemmed from the lack of a furniture donation centre in Sackville, causing people to attempt to donate furniture and household items to the food bank. Unfortunately at the time, due to space, the food bank was not able to accept these items regardless of community need. The thrift store plan for expansion was supported by the nature of a university town where students are constantly moving in and out. Second Chances uniquely benefits from students needing furnishing and interior appliances at the beginning of each school year and discarding them when they move out.
In order to allow students to make use of the store in the 2025-26 academic year, Second Chances opened on Aug. 1 and is now open for buying and donations to everyone in Sackville and the greater surrounding area. Located on 18 Lorne St., Second Chances Thrift Store is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesdays through Saturdays, and accepts donations during store hours and on Mondays.
For the future, Second Chances and the Food Bank have several goals. Second Chances is meant for all community members, particularly lower-income households, and prices will be kept low and accessible. Eventually, it is aimed to further help the community by hiring staff to run the store independently, and provide employment. The funding raised by the thrift store will go towards paid employees at the food bank to help provide more services to the community. Additionally, the funds will hopefully aid the food bank’s expansion to a larger building for the first time in almost 40 years, to further support the fast-growing need for food security. With the support of the community in Sackville, the future of Second Chances is bright! This spirit has carried on among countless volunteers over the years, Sackville and District Assistance Centre works toward giving a second chance and a second, bigger location to the food bank.