This month, thoughts turn to the upcoming school year and volunteers with St. Luke’s Community Food Bank are looking to the community to help them support their young clients.
The food bank feeds 52 families each week, including almost 100 children.
“It’s pretty overwhelming when we see what’s happing to people,” said food bank manager Rev. Lorna May. “We’re supplying food but it really helps in different ways. Other than feeding bellies, it really gives people hope.”
She said the food bank supports several families whose housing is extremely precarious, and the non- judgemental support means a lot to them.
“That’s an important element,” said May. “It is about food, but it’s not just about food.”
The food bank prioritizes healthy, fresh foods and makes deliveries to families each week in order to provide the service in a dignified supportive manner.
The cost of the food continues to rise, said May. Even though a lot of resources are dedicated to getting the best deals on produce, dairy and meat, she has seen the weekly shopping bill climb from $100 to $300.
Supplies from a Christmas campaign through Creemore Foodland to stock the shelves with soup, pasta and sauce lasted until just a few weeks ago, but with supplies running low those staples are needed once more.
May said she learned from the local school that children just love hard boiled eggs so the food bank now provides eight dozen boiled eggs and big bags of apples to four area schools for their snack programs.
“It makes a difference,” said May, adding that it has been proven that children learn better if they eat at two intervals during the school day – hence the adoption of nutrition breaks.
“Of course they have to have food for that,” she said.
The food bank has also enlisted the help of friends at St. John’s United Church to gather back-to-school items. The community is also encouraged to donate school supplies geared toward junior students, including crayons, pencils, dry erase markers, glue sticks, and pencil crayons.
Next month, the St. Luke’s Anglican Church will continue with its lunches, serving up soup as a fundraiser for the food bank on the last Wednesday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Donations can be delivered to St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Friday mornings or to make special arrangements contact lornathedeacon@ gmail.com, or call 705-466-2206.