Food Drive Helping Children

By this time of year most families have settled into a daily routine for the new school year. The children are woken up, their lunches are made and they are sent off to school with full bellies to start the day right.

Most children.

But for many parents in Welland, it is difficult to provide their children with an adequate breakfast or even supply them with snacks for school lunches.

“Over 1300 children use the food bank,” say Gina Couldery, food security co-ordinator at the Hope Centre.

The Hope Centre, The Salvation Army and the Open Arms Mission are Welland’s three main food banks, and they all have seen an increase in need this year.

“The numbers are definitely higher for our food bank and for our food supply,” says Couldery. “It’s extremely high for children as well.”

The 19th annual Welland Food Drive is November 6th, and Couldery says “the Hope Centre is anxiously waiting and counting the days.”

The food banks rely on the donations of the community during this one day event to stock their shelves and hopefully keep the shelves full until about April.

“We would be in dire straits without the food drive,” says Tim Albrecht, Open Arms Mission pastoral care advisor. “We’d have to turn people away. We can only give out what we receive.”

Monique Finley, food drive co-ordinator, says the community is very generous when it comes to donating and helping their neighbours, but hopes more people will remember to participate this year.

“Although the food drive has been held the first Saturday in November for nearly two decades, the biggest challenge is informing and then reminding the public to put their food out on their doorstep on November 6th, after 10:00 a.m,” she says.

Finley says sometimes people become busy and although “they intend on giving to the drive….that first Saturday in November comes and goes.”

Couldery says the community’s involvement with the food drive shows how “very supportive Welland is” and believes sometimes “it is necessary to give a little reminder of how greatly we need donations.”

She hopes people will remember that they can make a difference in a child’s life by donating items for breakfasts and school snacks. The food banks can use items such as cereals, juices and packaged school items.

“It’s wonderful to be able to provide a child with a nice lunch for school,” she says. “And it’s so important for them to start the day feeling full with a good breakfast.”

Albrecht says children (up to age 18) represent “35% of the individuals served over the past year.”

He says the food drive will make a “big difference” in being able to support Welland’s people in need.

“There’s something that happens in our community as we come together and work together on a big project like this.”

People are asked to leave donations on their door step by 10am on November 6th. Volunteers will be collecting from each home and bringing the food back to Auberge Richelieu to be divided between the three main food banks.

If you wish to volunteer or find out more information please go to www.wellandfooddrive.com or call (905) 714-9151

Published by Welland Tribune- October 19, 2010