A cornucopia of Thanksgiving and Halloween giving
Area Schools answer the need for food across West Northumberland
Halloween may be for receiving all sorts of ghoulish goodies but area high schools turn each fall season into ‘giving’ rather than ‘getting’. All the numbers are not yet in but this year’s food drive for the Fare Share Food Bank has been a tremendous success. Each year high schools in the area run self-initiated food drives under various banners. Recently the banks have received numerous calls asking where and when they could drop off food. CDCI East and West, St. Mary’s, Trinity College School and Port Hope High have all participated in some form.
There is a ‘soft crisis’ rising as the food security for families are challenged with the downturn in the economy, loss of jobs and the latest category of needy – the working poor. Fare Share has seen its numbers rise significantly with at least a 20% increase in use of the banks. This number is echoed through the Food-4-All Warehouse and various Food Cupboards that dot the County. “We are stretched so thin with demand”, stated George Leger, Executive Director of Fare Share, “but each year our hearts are warmed by the enthusiasm of our youth. The effort this year has been extraordinary – CDCI West and the Northumberland Youth Advisory Council alone have just left here after delivering 6,254.9lbs of food – I am so proud of them”, George added.
Student governments, football teams, Trinity College’s Social Justice Committee have either run food drives around the Thanksgiving holiday or participated in the ‘Halloween for Hunger’ food drive. Door-to-door solicitation has garnered tonnes of food for both banks. Jack Williams, interim manager of the Port Hope bank said, “we are so lucky to have these kids help us, the only thing we can do for them is make certain that the food gets out to the people – it’s the only recognition they want”.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, but we are really confident that we have food over Christmas”, Leger added, “the food that we collect in our community goes to help people who live here. We are planning internally to help coordinate and potentially offer greater support to these kids but frankly, they do a tremendous job”. Schools will run another food drive around Christmas and Leger stated that they are looking at a program to assist the Food Cupboards while trading with the Food-4-All warehouse so that there is better diversification of food.
If people wish to give to Fare Share Food Bank they are encouraged to do so at your local grocer, Kawartha Credit Union, The Bank of Montreal in Cobourg or Port Hope branch, Herma’s Fine Foods, St. Michael’s Rectory, York Super Pharmacy, Port Hope United Church or your local Fire Department. Fare Share also states that financial contributions are accepted at the banks or online at www.FareShare.ca. And finally, if you wish to get involved by volunteering, both banks are in need of assistance for many jobs and you can register online.