The manager of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s only food bank says she’s stepping down as the head of operations, with her replacement taking the helm effective immediately.
Newark Neighbours announced that Cindy Grant has decided to retire from her volunteer role as the organization’s manager, with Genevieve Lawrence taking over as interim food bank manager.
Grant, who’s been a volunteer with Newark Neighbours for around 10 years, says it was her personal decision to step down from her role.
“I’ve done as much as I wanted to, or devoted as much time as I needed to Newark Neighbours,” she said. “It was just time for new people to come in and take over.”
Newark Neighbours, which has been open since 1971, is NOTL’s only food bank. It feeds residents dealing with food insecurity and also operates a thrift store at its location on Niagara Stone Road in Virgil.
“It’s a terrific group of volunteers, a dedicated group of volunteers that work at Newark Neighbours,” Grant said. “I will miss them, but it was time for me to move on.”
Grant wears many hats in the community: she’s the current president of the Rotary Club of NOTL, leader of the NOTL Senior Housing Advisory Committee and the former president of the NOTL Horticultural Society.
“I need to provide some time to myself, give myself some more personal time and start to devote (it) to other groups and work in the community,” she said. “And that meant that I needed to give up my time at Newark Neighbours.”
Grant, who became the Rotary Club’s president in July, said she will serve her one-year term as its leader until the end of June. She stepped down as the horticultural society’s president this past fall.
Her replacement, Lawrence, has been a member of the food bank team for the past several years, said Newark Neighbours in a media release.
“Genevieve will do a terrific job,” she said. “She has my full support.”
Newark Neighbours’ board chair, Nancy Jackson, says the organization will be holding elections for its next food manager in the spring, at its annual general meeting.
Alongside her other volunteer efforts, Grant said she’s working with the Nyanyas of Niagara, which raises funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, support grandmothers in Africa raising grandchildren orphaned by AIDS.
Right now, she’s focused on preparing for an upcoming fundraiser on April 23, which will see former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae appear as a speaker.
