WELLINGTON COUNTY – With the holiday season fast approaching, food banks across the county are gearing up to help local residents celebrate Christmas.
Arthur
The Arthur Food Bank is seeing an increase in the number of individuals being served, up from around 70 earlier in the year to 100 this month.
Arthur residents are helped with a week’s worth of food, once a month, in the form of a hamper with canned food, pasta, meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.
The food bank, located at 146 George Street, is only open on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm and secretary Marilyn Theurer said appointments can be made by email or phone.
The food bank, Theurer said, is always in need of canned goods, Kraft Dinner, peanut butter and instant rice.
Being a charity, they also accept cash donations which are used to purchase food. Donations will receive charitable receipts at the end of the year.
If the food bank has an abundance of a certain item, they’re sure to lend a hand to the Arthur Lions Club’s Christmas hamper program.
Club volunteer Ralph Roelofsen predicts the club will put together 55 hampers this season for those who apply at the Wellington County Learning Centre.
Those with children under 13 will have their Christmas gift wishes listed on an angel tree at the local TD Bank and once gifts are purchased and dropped off at the tree, they’ll be placed with the corresponding hamper.
Anyone wanting to donate non-perishable food or cash donations can drop by the Arthur Curling Club on Dec. 16 between 1 and 4pm.
“We use this money to buy all the perishable food for the hampers; if there is any excess money after all bills are paid the balance goes to the Arthur Food Bank,” Roelofsen said.
Arrangements for toy and gift donations can also be made by reaching out to Roelofsen via email at arthurlionsclub@gmail.com.
On Dec. 16, all the hampers will be put together to be picked up the following day between 2 and 4pm at the curling club.
Centre Wellington
The Centre Wellington Food Bank is not giving out Christmas hampers this year, instead giving gift cards to clients to fill their own wish lists.
People want to fill those hampers with food and gifts for a family, said food bank volunteer Darlene Tremblay, “but we can’t have the line-ups” that usually come on give-away day.
The food bank pivoted to this model last Christmas due to the pandemic, and it is continuing the practice this year too.
CENTRE WELLINGTON FOOD BANK, FERGUS (Advertiser file photo)
Gift cards for grocery stores, Walmart or a local restaurant or shop do make lovely gifts though, and those are being distributed to clients when they come for their regular food. Then they can go out and select the gifts their family members will want.
People can still give to the food bank however, Tremblay said.
The most urgent needs are: juice, cereal, crackers, cookies, canned fruit, coffee and tea, Jello and pudding, Sidekicks, and canned meats like salmon, tuna and ham.
The Centre Wellington Food Bank has fared pretty well through the pandemic, even though usage has increased. Still, volunteers are happy to accept donations any time, any day within the food bank’s business hours.
For more information visit www.cwfoodbank.org.
Clifford
Chairman Bruce Shannon said the Clifford Food Bank is already preparing its Christmas hampers for this year’s distribution.
He added the food bank isn’t asking for anything specific for the hampers this year – all donations are welcome.
The deadline to register for a Christmas hamper is Dec. 11 and pickup is scheduled for Dec. 21. People who have registered for a hamper will be contacted with a time for pickup.
Hampers can be picked up at the Knox United Church in Clifford.
Shannon said the Christmas hampers will include the traditional items for a Christmas meal – turkey/ham, potatoes, vegetables – in addition to regular food items to be used in the days following.
People looking to register for the Christmas hampers or make a donation can contact the food bank at 519-327-8588.
Drayton
Similar to last year, the Drayton Community Food Bank will provide a variety of non-perishable food items and grocery gift cards.
Food bank coordinator Bryan Timmerman said the hampers will include some fresh food items as well. He added all non-perishable food items are welcome but organizers are specifically requesting school snacks for children, breakfast items and hygiene items.
Hampers will be distributed on Dec. 11 to those who have pre-registered at the food bank, which is located at Drayton Reformed Church.
Residents looking to donate can contact the food bank by calling 519-504-2346 or emailing drayton foodbank@gmail.com. There is also a drop off box at the front of the church.
Erin, Guelph/Eramosa
Serving Guelph/Eramosa and Erin, East Wellington Community Services will be preparing special Christmas hampers for already-registered clients, ranging from low-income seniors, to people living out of their cars, to those living on the streets.
“There’s a lot of folks that are struggling in the community right now,” said food bank and fund development manager Stephanie Conway. “Food costs are going up, rent’s going up.
“Homelessness is now becoming another issue here within the community that people don’t think [about],” she said, adding housing disparities may not be as obvious in places like Erin, where the homeless aren’t necessarily in plain view.
Although the food bank currently serves 236 registered individuals, around 100 special hampers will be assembled in time for Christmas this year
Children registered with EWCS who are 18 years old or younger will be “adopted” by Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Adopt-a-Family program, who will look after matching children with donors for toys and gifts.
What makes the Christmas hampers different from a regular week’s food supply is the focus on a holiday meal for Christmas, a breakfast for the morning after, and a gift card.
Conway said the community has been very supportive of sponsoring the hampers, but the food bank needs turkeys for the Christmas hampers.
While laughing, Conway said in complete sincerity, “Call me, I will take your turkeys.”
If people in the community are interested in donating, EWCS is also always in need of the “almighty dollar,” Conway said, citing transportation, staff and rent costs.
“We do want to say a huge thank you to the community for being so supportive … if we don’t have their support, we’re not operating, so we’re so lucky and so blessed to be in such a supportive community.”
Harriston
Coordinator Iris Richardson said the Harriston Food Bank already has roughly 40 hampers on the go for this year’s Christmas Hamper program.
The deadline for those looking to register to receive a hamper is Dec. 9. Registration forms can be picked up at the food bank or the Harriston Legion.
The hampers will be distributed on Dec. 17 by the Harriston Kinsmen. Hampers can be picked up at the Harriston Legion or a delivery option is available as well.
Richardson said all donations are accepted but she is encouraging people donate toiletry items like soaps, shampoo, deodorant, razors, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
HARRISTON FOOD BANK (Advertiser file photo)
“Those are kind of those extras that if we have enough, we like to include those types of things,” she explained, noting cash donations go a long way as well.
Richardson said the hampers will include everything someone needs for a Christmas dinner, including a turkey, potatoes, turnip, vegetables, cranberries, gravy, buns and a pie.
“We also throw in some canned fruit, extra vegetables, some tuna and salmon, soups, so it’s like a regular hamper plus everything that they need for a Christmas dinner, then the toys are on top of that as well.”
As with previous years, Leslie Motors in Harriston will also once again collecting toys to be distributed in the Christmas hampers.
“With our connection to Leslie Motors and the toy drive, we donate gifts to children 14 and under,” she explained.
“There’s not many toys that 14-year-olds are interested in, but gift cards go a long way, so any donations that could go to buying gift cards for the teenagers at Christmas time would be very, very helpful.”
People looking to donate can contact the food bank at 519-510-3663.
Mount Forest
The Mount Forest Community Pantry is doing “very well right now,” according to 20-year volunteer and co-chair Donna Leach.
“We have a very generous community here,” she said, adding the local Foodland and No Frills grocery stores are “very, very generous” to the pantry.
Even so, Leach said demand has been increasing over the last few months and the pantry is always appreciative of any donations.
“We have had more and more families” reaching out for support, she said.
And while some individuals may fit into narrow, preconceived notions of who might need help, Leach said there are many unsuspecting folks from all walks of life accessing the pantry.
Leach said the pantry always needs snacks for kids’ school lunches and pointed out how expensive things like fruit cups, pudding and granola bars can be for income-challenged families.
The pantry runs deliveries twice a week, with each delivery providing a week’s supply of groceries.
“We get the calls in from a needy family saying ‘I need food this week’ and we get it together and get it out to them,” Leach explained.
The small group of volunteers behind the pantry haven’t been doing much in-person shopping lately on account of the pandemic and are instead purchasing gift cards from local grocery stores, allowing people to be empowered to purchase their own fresh vegetables or food not offered by the pantry.
Each month around 100 families are served by the pantry, with each consisting of anywhere between one to eight individuals.
Around mid-December, the pantry begins offering donated food to the Mount Forest and District Christmas Bureau’s hamper program.
“We actually take two weeks off at Christmas time because the Christmas hamper basically takes over,” Leach said.
Now chaired by Daphne Rappard, the Christmas hamper program has been putting Christmas dinner on the table and gifts under the tree since the 1970s.
Local students make a donation to the Mount Forest Community Food Pantry last year. Advertiser file photo
This year the Bureau will assemble 137 hampers for families with 162 children registered for donated toys and clothing to be collected at five angel trees placed throughout Mount Forest.
Rappard said there are “a lot of new families” the program has never helped before – “So, kind of a sign of the times,” she remarked.
Angels, cut out from bright construction paper by residents at Birmingham Retirement Community, are currently hanging from the branches of trees at The Eco Den, Young’s Home Hardware, TD Bank, Hometown Boutique and Imagination Space.
Anyone can select an angel, shop for listed items and return with the unwrapped presents, placing them under the tree with the angel attached.
Rappard said 17 infants less than a year old are registered this season. The program would typically only have four. A special angel tree focusing on baby needs is located at Stumbled Upon.
Food and other items like hats, socks and female hygiene products, are being collected through drives at various locations like Waste Management, Wrap Stars, and Hair by Jennifer Truax.
Wellington North Fire Services will have a fire truck to pack with food at the Foodland at 121 Main Street South on Dec. 4.
And local service clubs like The Mount Forest Lions Club and the Mount Forest Legion Branch 134 have donated $2,500 and $3,000 for the hamper program, respectively.
“The whole community is involved,” Rappard said. “Everybody is just clamouring to help us, it’s wonderful.”
Donated clothing, toiletries, food and gifts come together for a Dec. 13 cutoff date under the roof of the old arena, now the Victory Community Centre.
Volunteers assemble the hampers with all the makings of a Christmas dinner, including turkey, stuffing, gravy, clementines and a desert, along with the clothing, toys, toiletries and a grocery gift card.
Hampers are either delivered or picked up by recipients on Dec. 21, with pickups arranged by appointment, in a drive-through format.
Palmerston
Chair Barbara Burrows said the Palmerston Food Bank, located in the Palmerston United Church, will be distributing its Christmas hampers again this year.
The deadline to register for the hampers has already passed, Burrows said, in order to provide the food bank with enough time to sort out the orders.
“The supply chain’s not always that reliable, so we did want to get our orders in in good time and get our volunteers organized,” she explained.
Burrows said the food bank is preparing 46 hampers to distribute this year, which she noted is down a bit from last year.
People looking to make donations should contact the food bank ahead of time to arrange for volunteers to help carry things and to ensure the church doors are unlocked.
“If they can give us at least one day’s notice, we can arrange to have one or two volunteers there,” Burrows said. A donation box is also set up at Foodland in Palmerston.
Burrows noted the food bank isn’t asking for any specific donations this year. All donations are accepted, including gift cards and monetary donations.
“We do not specify any needs,” she said. “Whatever people choose to donate we just appreciate it so much.”
The Christmas hampers will be distributed on Dec. 20. Clients will receive their choice of a full turkey, ham, or chicken dinner as well as potatoes, vegetables, beverages, Christmas treats and gift cards to purchase additional food items.
The food bank is also helping to coordinate gift giving, an initiative run by the church.
Burrows said this year they’ve suggested people donate gift cards rather than specific toys.
“We are encouraging if anyone wants to sponsor a family for gifts or perhaps a gift card,” she explained.
“That way they can choose what they really need and what they really want.”
People looking to donate can call 519-417-4774 or email palmfb@yahoo.ca.
