With 2021's end in sight, TimminsToday is taking a look back at some of the news and events of the past year.
The community rallied around the South Porcupine Food Bank after losing its longtime location to a fire in the summer.
Early in the morning on June 25, a blaze broke out in one of the apartments in the Main Street building the food bank was located in. About 10 people were in the building that had multiple apartment units and everybody got out. Heavy smoke damage forced the food bank to close and it lost its supply of food and hygiene items.
Within days, the organization was able to start offering services again.
The South Porcupine Food Bank started operating from a van outside of its Main Steet location on June 29. South Porcupine Pride allowed the volunteers access to the Scout Hall to store and pre-package items and Giant Tiger lent a canopy and table while the operations were outdoors.
At the end of July, operations temporarily moved to the Porcupine Mall where Metro provided free space.
In early October, the food bank opened at a new location at 97 Bloor St., next to the C.M. Shields Centennial Library. They expect to be there for at least a year.
Within a month of the fire, the organization received more than 10,600 pounds of food and hygiene items, as well as $40,000 in cash donations.
At the long-awaited opening of Food Basics at the Porcupine Mall in November, the company donated $5,000 to the food bank.
Recently, Lake Shore Gold did its part to ensure people had a Christmas dinner by donating hams and $10,000 in cash to the South Porcupine Food Bank. It made the same donation to the Timmins Food Bank.
