Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort (OSHaRE) is excited to announce that we will be moving our location, so that we can improve our services - with respect to the meals we are able to prepare, provide opportunities to develop partnerships for services that will be of benefit to our guests, and improve storage for dealing with large donations of fresh produce and perishable items.

OSHaRE has been located at the Harmony Centre since its inception, over six years ago. During those years, OSHaRE has served over 100,000 meals, through the generous donations of people, businesses and other organizations, and the hard work of our amazing volunteers. We are thankful for the relationship we have with the Harmony Centre. It has been a great place for OSHaRE to begin, and the Harmony Centre’s support has been incredible through the years. The relationship has given OSHaRE time to mature and develop a better understanding of the needs of our guests and the resources we require to effectively and efficiently meet those needs. We are excited to continue our great relationship with the Harmony Centre as both charities continue to grow and develop.

In 2017, in partnership with the Grey Bruce Health Unit, a review of OSHaRE’s operations was undertaken. That report identified a number of improvements and new initiatives that OSHaRE could undertake to better serve those who depend upon our services. We believe that it is important for OSHaRE to undertake some of these new initiatives.

Our new location will be 946 3rd Avenue East (the former Salvation Army Thrift Store location), in downtown Owen Sound. In this location, OSHaRE will have industrial-grade cooking equipment, with a walk in cooler and freezer. We will also have space to develop additional services and partnerships with other community organizations. We believe that these improvements will help us to serve our guests better.

Our plan is to continue serving meals out of the Harmony Centre until September 2019, when our new space will be ready. More information about this exciting opportunity will be released as we move forward. OSHaRE-what we have, we will share.

source: media release, OSHaRE