John Kelly (second from right) with Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank volunteers and Executive Director Meghan Flindall
Volunteers like John Kelly help keep Northumberland Fare Share shelves moving.
For decades, Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank has worked quietly behind the scenes to make sure individuals and families across the county have access to nutritious food when they need it most.
The organization relies heavily on volunteers. They stock shelves, sort donations, prepare hampers, help with distributions in Cobourg and Port Hope, and support the administration and fundraising work required to keep the operation running. Without that volunteer base, the service simply could not function.
John Kelly is one of those volunteers.
After retiring at the start of 2025, Kelly began looking for meaningful ways to stay active in the community. With a background in finance, he joined Fare Share’s board and took on the role of treasurer, but he says the impact of the organization became clearest when he visited the depots in person.
Kelly also volunteers with the Sunrise Rotary Club, 100 Guys Who Care, and spends time visiting residents at Landmark Retirement Residence, but food security holds a particular significance.
In the interview, he describes realizing how difficult it is to function without eating and wondering how children can learn or parents can work safely if they are hungry.
Seeing clients welcomed by volunteers and leave with food, he says, reinforces that the effort matters.
For Kelly, volunteering is about using the time he now has to create positive outcomes close to home.
Listen in below to Kelly’s full interview, presented by sales representative Paul Lang with Coldwell Banker RMR Real Estate.
Information about donating or volunteering with Northumberland Fare Share is available at fareshare.ca.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
