Every week, hundreds of West Islanders walk through the doors of On Rock Community Services in Roxboro.
People don’t just go for food — but for support, resources and community.
For years, one man has made sure those doors stay open.
But when Kim Reid first opened On Rock in 1991, a food bank was never part of the plan.
“We had a greasy spoon that had pool tables, loud music, live bands — it was great,” said Reid. “And then this little old lady, she was 86, came in one day at the drop-in centre and said she was running a food bank and needed a place to run it.”
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Eventually that youth drop-in centre slowly turned into something more.
By 2005, On Rock officially became a food bank and hasn’t stopped growing since.
What started as a 1,000 square-foot space has grown into a 19,000 square-foot community hub, including a thrift store, a pay-what-you-can restaurant and a grocery store, serving roughly 300 families a week.
“It has become more of a hub and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes,” said Reid.
After more than three decades at the helm, Reid is passing the torch over to his daughter, Kayla, who started her journey here years ago in the thrift store.
She later became On Rock’s operations manager and is now the executive director.
“I’ve had time to learn a lot, which I think has been a really big advantage for me,” said Kayla. “But I think he’s done an incredible job, and I’m happy to take over the reins and continue his legacy.”
Taking over also comes with challenges.
Currently, one of the organization’s biggest needs is a refrigerated truck to pick up and deliver food each week.
“Just this week we had to send our truck away for repairs for the third time in a month,” she said. “We’re really struggling with a truck — it’s probably one of our biggest needs right now.”
Despite those challenges, Kayla says the goal is to keep On Rock growing while making sure the mission stays the same — to be there for the community when it needs it most.