INNISFAIL – The longstanding dual loving and caring leadership team at the Innisfail and District Food Bank has come to an end.
Carole Sim and Brenda Hand have retired from their agency coordinator roles. They officially notified the agency’s board on Sept. 21 at its annual general meeting.
Moving into the coordinating roles is respected and committed volunteers Val Kendall and Judy Cooper.
The 80-year-old Sim, who has been with the agency for nearly 20 years, said she’s been considering retirement “for a while now," partly because of her age but also because she believes it is time for change within the agency.
Despite officially handing over the reins to new leadership, Sim said she would still be around to “help out if needed.”
“We’ve got some young volunteers and I think it’s time for new ideas at the food bank and now is a great time to do it,” she said. “I love doing what I was doing but I think it’s just time. You get that feeling, you know. It was the same at the hospital. After 27 years I said, ‘that’s enough. I got to go.”
Sim, who was the local hospital’s former director of nursing, said her plan now is to put in more time with her nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as with her friends.
Hand, 62, said she enjoyed all of her work at the food bank ever since signing on to help in 2012.
“I like people and I like interaction with people and doing some good. I know I will miss it but I am stepping back into a different role. I will be a team leader here. It’s way less work,” said Hand, adding she has been thinking about stepping away from the coordinator role for the past year.
“I am running out of steam health-wise and there are people who are willing to take over. There is a time and season for everything,” said Hand.
Hand said she now plans to “hang out” with her five grandchildren.
As for how the public will respond to news the food bank’s legendary leadership team has retired, Hand was humble and gracious with her answer.
“I’m not really the legend. Carole I think is the legend,” said Hand. “I am a relative newcomer to the food bank. There are lots of women there who have been there longer than I have.”
Sim said that despite the ongoing provincewide struggling economy and COVID-19 pandemic the pair are leaving the food bank in good shape to serve the needy if a surge in demand suddenly increases.
“We are not now getting a lot of clients. We are actually down in clients from last year but we are getting lots of donations and adequate supplies so we are able to help everybody out,” said Sim, adding the food bank will no doubt Be watching the news of what changes the federal government could be making to emergency aid when it announced an updated fiscal agenda in its throne speech on Sept. 23.
“When the federal emergency money is discontinued at the end of September we don’t know what that is going to bring when that is gone,” she said.
