Nearly 35,000 pounds of pasta heads to Partners in Mission Food Bank

Barilla Canada donation to Partners in Mission Food Bank will be distributed across Kingston-area agencies and beyond.

A large donation of pasta arrived in Kingston this week, bringing tens of thousands of pounds of food to help local families facing food insecurity.

Two tractor-trailers delivered nearly 35,000 pounds of pasta to Partners in Mission Food Bank.

The shipment from Barilla Canada is valued at about $170,000 and is expected to provide roughly 200,000 adult-sized servings.

Executive director Dan Irwin says that the new location of Kingston's Food Bank makes donation's like these possible.

From there, the food will be distributed across Kingston-area agencies including Youth Diversion, Independent Living Kingston, Lionhearts and community partners. Feed Ontario will help coordinate distribution to additional communities across Ontario. Irwin explains more.

Community advocate Michael Judd says demand at food banks continues to rise as households face higher costs for housing and groceries. He says the donation will provide meaningful short-term relief for many families, seniors and individuals on fixed incomes.

He also mentions the wide variety of pasta Barilla has provided.

Transportation for the shipment was provided at no cost through a private logistics partner, helping ensure the food reaches Kingston efficiently. Judd says shipment only took two trips.

Judd says the scale of the donation highlights the importance of coordinated efforts between manufacturers, transporters and food banks in addressing food insecurity.

He added that he is involved with multiple organizations to help out the community.

If you would like to help or need it, visit Partners in Mission Food Bank's website.

Story by Alyssa Brush