I often hear, “you’re all over the place!” Especially in the fall and
winter, I seem to be busy volunteering as MC at local charity events
(pre-Covid, anyway), working in the food bank and manning the kettle for the
Salvation Army. I have always enjoyed volunteering in the community. It’s a
very rewarding pastime. And I’m not affluent, so instead of writing a cheque, I
donate my time and efforts. But to be honest, I volunteer to feel that I am
doing something in a sometimes helpless situation.
Did you know that the demand on our local food bank has more than
tripled since the beginning of the pandemic? There are a variety of reasons for
this. Many people were laid off. Some had family members turn to them for help,
and their household grew in size. Others are unable to work, due to health
concerns and other factors. We have people accessing the food bank for the
first time, fully dressed for work. They have jobs – but they can’t pay rising
housing, fuel and utility costs while also putting healthy food on the table.
It’s a very difficult situation to be in – and it’s happening in large part to
frontline workers: those in long term care and customer service.
It's frustrating that our government doesn’t have a firm plan in place
to stock food bank shelves in order to support the people who keep things
operating safely in a pandemic - people who are forced to put their own health
at risk so that our seniors will be well cared for and we can access the
grocery store. Our local food bank did gratefully receive a hefty grant from
the government as emergency funding. That money was to be used during the
pandemic, and it helped to stock shelves for the past year. It is spent now,
and there is no sign of a renewal of financial support in the near future.
While our funding disappears, our numbers remain steady. Many food bank
clients are returning to work, but they still need help to feed their families.
Costs have gone up. Shifts have been reduced. The world is not the same as it
was – and it won’t be changing anytime soon. Our need continues while our
support fades away. We are working on sustainable plans for community
sponsorship and support, because we know we will have to raise much of the funds
ourselves.
This is why I ring the bells at the Salvation Army kettle. We hope to
raise enough money to stock our shelves for several months after this Christmas
campaign. Thank you for your donations. Every dollar helps.
-30-
