FERGUS – Local business owner and electrician Nick Pittman has a servant’s heart and a desire to help struggling families and individuals put food on the table – not just during the Christmas season, but year-round.
Every two weeks, 60 boxes of food, varying from pantry staples to produce and chocolate, are picked up by those in need from Grace Christian Fellowship in Fergus.
Another 40 are delivered by volunteers to homes in Fergus, Guelph and Arthur, getting around the shame some feel accessing free food in person.
Pittman and volunteers bear the cost of time, gas and vehicle wear.
“What we’re looking at doing is building those relationships where you actually get to know the people, and then it’s not just about the food, it’s also about mental stability and letting people know that you’re not alone in this,” Pittman said.
Twice per month over the last year, Pittman has hitched a six-foot trailer and made a four-hour round-trip to St. Thomas to collect skids of donated food from Jim Collins at Harvest Hands, a food distribution centre and non-profit “food rescue,” to supply food boxes here.
Twenty volunteers prepare and organize the donated food at the church on Friday nights prior to Sunday pickups and deliveries, checking expiry dates and tossing unfavourable vegetables, as the boxes are readied.
Any extras end up in a community fridge outside the church’s Farley Road location.
Following a relief trip to the southern United States ravaged by Hurricane Helene last year, Pittman wanted to help closer to home and started Servant’s Heart Ministries, run out of Grace.
He’s motivated by his Christian faith and may offer to pray for those he helps, but the food boxes aren’t tied to a forced message.
Actions speak louder than words, Pittman said, adding the modern church needs to return to serving those beyond its pews.
“Go help people, and show the love of Jesus; that’s just basically what we’re doing,” he said.
What was once four skids of food has increased to six, based on word-of-mouth alone – stressing need within the county, Pittman said.
“The cost of living is expensive in Canada; groceries are high, rent’s high,” he said.
“This is a silent killer … we have these people that are hurting, feeling alone, feeling desperate.”
The issue, as he sees it, isn’t whether there’s enough food for everyone; it’s a matter of finding farmers, retailers and restaurants with extra and getting it to those who need it.
Servant’s Heart is partly an answer to a distribution problem, and partly an answer to the needs of a working class increasingly unable to provide for itself.
Pittman said working people don’t always qualify for traditional food banks and social safety nets.
There are no eligibility requirements to receive a box, and though Pittman admits to worrying about getting taken advantage of, he keeps faith the help will go to those who truly need it.
Should other churches want to set up a food box program, Pittman said he’s ready to lend a hand.
“I would love to empower churches to do what we’re doing,” he said.
The final food pickup of the year takes place Dec. 21 (35 Farley Rd.) at noon.
Pickups resume at the church on Jan. 11.
