Students from the University of Guelph’s Meal Exchange program delivered cases of food to the Clifford Food Bank on April 14.
Co-ordinator MacKenzie Brown and her crew of Anthony Ngai, Jessie Edelmayer, Jennifer McBlain, Jessica Mann, Pauline Zhang and Jessica Wong delivered food to a dozen places before hitting Clifford, and they were not quite finished yet.
The students were eager to discuss the food bank budget, the need in the area, storing food, fundraisers, and the Christmas hamper program over a plate of vegetables and dip, crackers and cheese, and refreshments.
Worker Marion Agla explained the three food banks in Minto share costs of a membership to the Hub food terminal where they are allowed to obtain food each month.
She stacked 1,500 pounds of mostly frozen foods in her truck in Kitchener and drove to Clifford to fill the freezers.
Sometimes there are “food-raising” events and not just fundraising initiatives to collect non-perishable food at popular events, parades, and even at hazardous waste days at the transfer station in Harriston.
Area churches and local schools promote the need for food and the students and teachers do their best to bring in tuna, salmon, peanut butter, crackers, Kraft dinner, Kleenex, cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, cookies, jam and tea.
But just as quickly as it arrives, it can be taken off the shelves and boxed and bagged to send to a family in need. Sometimes people accept a hamper at Christmas time and don’t need to access the food bank again during the year.
But at least that Christmas will be spent enjoying a great turkey meal complete with toys, games and warm mittens, hats and socks compliments of toy drives at the bank, knitters at the churches and residents’ donations.
The students were pleased to meet president Bruce Shannon and his wife Margaret and to hear that their donations really do impact the people of Clifford.
The Clifford Food Bank can be reached at 519-327-8588.
