Setting the table for compassion

From coaching basketball across the street from his store, to delivering baskets of food with his family to those in need during the holiday season, Jeff Brierley always knew he wanted to serve his local community.  

With a long-term goal of becoming a franchisee; he accepted the role of store owner for what is now known as Brierley’s Your Independent Grocer^® (YIG) in 2023 and found himself attached to the store more than ever before. “Knowing that this is now ‘my place’ has made this fun on a whole other level,” says Jeff. “Everyone is pleasant, the customers are great and I’ve developed such meaningful relationships. It truly feels like home.”  

A time of need created an opportunity for Brierley’s to support their local community directly; after a demographic study was conducted, revealing that there were over 600 households living below the poverty line in Riverside South. Food banks across the city were overburdened with families in need of food and many other resources, which in some cases have doubled or tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.  

Last year, Jeff was invited to sit in on a Riverside South councillor community partner meeting and spoke about his relationship with the Ottawa Food Bank, a charitable organization he has been involved with for many years. After hearing about the need for food and space to accommodate another local food bank, it was a no-brainer. Jeff immediately offered up his store to host The Community Table, a 100% volunteer-run food bank located in Riverside South.  

Jeff cleared out what was previously used as a dietitian’s office and met with an engineer to effectively and efficiently design the space. The Community Table food bank officially opened its doors inside Brierley’s YIG on May 6, 2024.  

Although proud of this initiative, it’s not something that is broadcast widely in-store. There is no signage directing customers to the food bank and everything is located on the inside of the room, to help those in need feel like every other customer. When clients come in, they are escorted through PC Express to pick up their items. 

“When an opportunity arises to help, I naturally want to give back,” says Jeff. “The way we can impact our community the most is with food. People need it and we have the means to provide it, so that’s exactly what I want to do.”