Fare Share Food Bank broken into, vandalized over long weekend

Extensive damage was discovered at the Fare Share Food Bank in Cobourg after the location was broken into in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 23.

Police were called to the scene, and contacted George Leger, the food bank’s executive director, to come in and assess the damage done. Mr. Leger arrived at 4:30a.m.

“It’s a darned mess,” Leger said, “There is food and glass broken everywhere. Shelves were overturned, food smashed and paper thrown all over. We have locks on the freezers and the vandals tried to break them, but couldn’t — and now our freezer is broken. This is a real setback. It breaks my heart to see it.”

The food bank is in the process of cleaning up. Leger said Fare Share would seek the help of professional, commercial cleaners, as he did not want volunteers dealing with the glass, or with the emotional upset of having to see the damage that has been done.

The location has to be cleaned within days in order to reopen on its regular schedule.

“We have to be open on Wednesday — there are just too many people to feed for us to be closed,” said Leger. “But with all the food vandalized, we’re concerned about meeting people’s needs this week. Bottles of baby food were smashed all around. We were short of baby food before, and now we will be really short.”

Sandra Arthur of Delcom Management Services (the firm that manages the property where the food bank is located) has mobilized a crew to help clean and better secure the premises.

“Sandra has been wonderful,” said Leger. “She just jumps in and gets things done. I wish that there was a better way to thank these people.”

As to the motivations of anyone who would break into and vandalize the food bank, Leger simply can’t make sense of it.

“There is really nothing to take,” said George. “If they had taken food because they were hungry, that would be more understandable to me – but besides breaking things and making a mess, all they stole were some chocolate M&Ms and cookies. It was just a terrible act of senseless destruction.”

Faced with feeding nearly 2,500 people each month, this event poses a significant setback for Fare Share, but the Cobourg location plans to be open to distribute food as usual on Wednesday, May 26, as they know people are depending on them.

Anyone who wants to help is urged to donate funds to Fare Share through www.fareshare.ca or to make food donations at any of the following locations:

Cobourg or Port Hope Fire Departments
Bank of Montreal (Port Hope or Cobourg)
Metro (Port Hope or Cobourg)
York Super Pharmacy (Cobourg)
No Frills (Cobourg)
Fisher’s Foodland (Cobourg)
Kawartha Credit Union (Cobourg)
Herma’s Fine Foods & Gifts (Port Hope)
Davis Independent (Port Hope)
TD Canada Trust (Port Hope)

Follow our progress online at www.fareshare.ca, and find out how you can help.

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For more information:
George Leger
Executive Director
Northumberland Fare Share Food Banks
905-372-5308
admin@fareshare.ca