Bring it in - drive hunger out
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Bring it in and help drive hunger out of Oxford County.
That’s the message behind the Tillsonburg Food Drive during Hunger Awareness Week May 6-10.
The day-long event, entitled ‘Bring It In,’ takes place on Friday, May 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the front parking lot at the Livingston Centre and is being organized by members of the Tillsonburg Resource Network (TRN) including Donna Acre with the Salvation Army, Susan Deroo with the Multi-Service Centre and Chris VanLandschoot with Oxford County Human Services.
“It was brought to our attention that there is Hunger Awareness Week in May,” said Vanlandschoot, a client service worker with Oxford County. The purpose of the TRN is to understand each others resources and understand the needs within the community. One of the biggest needs is food.”
The event is being supported by the Livingston Centre, Oxford County OPP and the Town of Tillsonburg, and came about to help address the need for food and the ongoing issue of hunger in Oxford County.
“Families worry on a daily basis not just what they’re going to have for that week, they’re worrying about what they’re going to have for breakfast, they’re worrying about what they’re going to feed their kids for lunch,” said VanLandschoot. “And a lot of times they won’t send their kids to school because they don’t have a lunch for them.”
Joan Clarkson, coordinator for the Helping Hand Food Bank in Tillsonburg, said the Food Drive is an excellent way to inform residents about Hunger Awareness Week and the issue of hunger in our own community.
“Last year we gave out close to 97,000 pounds of food – there’s always an ongoing need. Hunger Awareness Week is put on by Food Banks Canada, and every year in March we have hunger count.
“That’s how we can tell how many people in Canada are using food banks.”
Those statistics show that close to 1 million people - 900,000 Canadians rely on food banks every month.
“We’ve been giving out to an average of 40 to 47 food hampers a week here in Tillsonburg, they all vary in size depending on the size of the family, and we give out an average of between 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of food a month” Clarkson added.
“This food drive with the Tillsonburg Resource Network is going to be amazing – it’s good for people to know that there are people who are hungry.”
On May 8, during Hunger Awareness Week, Clarkson said food banks across Canada are encouraging Canadians to participate in a one-day initiative called ‘Give It Up for Hunger.’
“What we’re asking people to do is just to go without food for a day or to give up a meal or two meals and see how they feel,” she said. “Then they can understand what a lot of people are feeling every day, because a lot of people go hungry.”
The need for food and the struggle with hunger just isn’t for individuals or families receiving social assistance – it also affects the working poor in every province and territory in Canada.
“When you’re making minimum wage and you have shelter, heat and hydro that you have to pay for first, food is a luxury,” said Vanlandschoot.
The food drive is designed for easy access and convenience said Vanlandschoot, so that people can drive in and drive out in a minute or less.
“They don’t even have to get out of their vehicle,” she said. “They drive in off Tillson Ave, into the parking lot, someone will approach the vehicle, grab the food and off they go.”
In addition to canned goods and non-perishable food items, they will be accepting cash donations and store cards during the event, that will be used towards items such as fresh produce at the Helping Hand Food Bank in Tillsonburg.
For more information on Hunger Awareness Week, visit the website www.hungerawarenessweek.ca or follow via social media on twitter @foodbankscanada (#hungerweek) and at Facebook.com/foodbankscanada.