Thanks to the wonderful generosity of individuals, businesses and groups, the Centre Wellington Food Bank is able to make a real difference in this community – in ways far beyond providing food – offering hope, support and direction to hundreds who face challenges in their lives.
The Food Bank provides a welcoming environment – a place to visit, shop for food, pick up new or gently-used clothing, connect with social services and legal aid, get tax return help and use its lending library and computers.
“This can only happen because of our hundreds of volunteers,” saidmanager Fred Aleksandrowicz.
“We’re also getting more high school groups involved and their level of enthusiasm is fantastic.”
The statistics tell a sad story. In 2015, the Food Bank provided 683 family members (185 of them first-time visitors) with groceries for three meals a day for a week – at least once, but often monthly – an aggregate of 4,215 served through personal food shopping.
Visitors shop from grocery shelves, pick up milk, eggs, meat and fresh food and choose nutritious meals prepared in-house by volunteer chefs. Including regular and drop-in Food Bank visits, monthly community dinners and special programs/events, last year the Food Bank had 6,738 interactions with those seeking help and provided a total of 91,912 individual meals.
Board chair Jackie Andrews added, “It’s quite heartbreaking that 36 per cent of those we help are children.”
Five Ways to Help for the Holidays
The spirit of Christmas is in the air at the Food Bank, with a range of options to help.
Christmas Angels: Can you help brighten the holidays for a child or a group of siblings who might otherwise go without gifts? To be sent an anonymous wish list by child, phone the Food Bank at 519-787-1401 or email christmasangels@cwfoodbank.org by Dec 5 with how many children you would like to help.
Last year, individuals and groups in the community brought joy to more than 200 children.
Turkey Drive: Once again sponsored by Scotiabank, the Turkey Drive runs Dec 5 to 24. Each $20 ticket – available only at the bank’s Fergus branch – will provide a festive Christmas dinner as part of the Food Bank’s Christmas Hamper Program and Scotiabank will match donations up to the first $5,000.
Toy Drive: Sponsored by the Fergus Lions Club, donations of unwrapped new toys for the Food Bank’s Christmas Hamper program are being collected until Dec. 13 at Reliable Motors in Fergus.
Zehrs Food Drive: The annual Zehrs Extra Helping Christmas Food Drive happens the weekend of Dec 9-11. A list of most needed non-perishable food items will be available at the entrance.
Gift Cards: Need a present for someone who has everything? A financial donation in his or her name to the Food Bank is a thoughtful gift, and you can pick up one of our new festive bow Gift Cards to enclose in a card or stocking.
As you’re making your lists and checking them twice, consider those struggling to provide for their families. For more information and online giving, visit the new CW Food Bank website at www.cwfoodank.org.
