“I’m excited,” said Karen Kennedy, a volunteer at the Colchester Food Bank. “I’m going to get his autograph.”
Kissel chatted with fans, signed autographs, posed for photos and sang a song before touring the facility. He also donated a signed guitar to be used to raise funds for the new building.
The singer first heard about the food bank through his tour manager Kevin Bushey, whose girlfriend’s son, Noah Barrett, is a volunteer there.
“He said it would be very special if we dropped by for a visit,” said Kissel. “I didn’t think that it would be as special as it turned out to be. I didn’t think we’d get as many people as Mary and Darlene were able bring in. I didn’t think it would weigh on my heart the way that it has.”
He called the food bank “the heart of Truro” and said he was impressed by the level of empathy and respect.
“If you’re coming in in a bad mood and this is the last resort for you, you are met with a lot of heart and that, I think, is important.”
Kissel’s mother went through treatment for breast cancer and he volunteers as an ambassador for the Canadian Cancer Society, as well as programs for youth. He has also visited many food banks across Canada to try to help.
He will soon be working on a new record, which he expects will be released in the fall. He tried out new material during recent shows on the east coast and now feels he knows which songs should be included on the album.
He is also busy with family. He and his wife Cecile have a one-year-old daughter called Mila who will be joined by a sibling this spring.
Noah
Noah Barrett is a regular volunteer at the Colchester Food Bank. The autistic 21-year-old is able to help with a variety of chores at the facility.
“Coming to the food bank gives him purpose,” said his mother, Heather Leggate. “I don’t think people realize how much the food bank does for people with disabilities. This is like a family.”