Area food banks are doing okay this summer but all are still accepting and encouraging donations.
“There are needy people out there and we need to help them,” said Marg Rapp of the Mount Forest Community Pantry.
However, organizers do ask donors to check expiration dates and only give what is not yet overdue.
“People don’t realize that we can’t give out food that’s out of date,” said Marilyn Theurer of the Arthur Food Bank. “Unfortunately we have to put that in the garbage, which always kind of breaks your heart to have to throw away food but we just don’t feel we can give it out.”
Arthur Food Bank
The Arthur Food Bank is in a good position largely thanks to a $1,000 food donation from the Union Gas Caring Hands program and another $1,000 food donation from Shop with a Cop, Theurer said. They are also anticipating a donation from Second Look in Arthur.
However, there are a few staple items the food bank is currently seeking.
“We can always use things like peanut butter,” she said. “It’s expensive to buy so you know if people donate it it’s good.
“Salmon and tuna and pasta sauce, they’re always in high demand (and) beans.”
The food bank serves about 35 clients with its monthly hamper program in the summer, which includes between 85 and 100 people.
Donations are accepted at Foodland, at the food bank between 10am and noon on Tuesdays or at any local church. For large donations call 519-848-3272 to arrange a drop off time.
“Arthur people are very generous and they do give to the food bank,” Theurer said. “If they know there’s the need I mean all we have to do is open our mouths and say you know we’re running out of food and wow it just comes in.”
CW Food Bank
The Centre Wellington Food Bank is in need of specific items including: canned fruit, juice, canned meat (not tuna), macaroni and cheese, crackers, pasta and rice side dishes, dish and laundry soap and shampoo and conditioner.
Items can be dropped off at the food bank or at local supermarket donation bins.
The food bank hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30am to 4pm, Wednesday from 9:30am to 1pm and 5 to 8pm, and Friday from 9:30am to 1pm. Food bank officials thank the community for lending a helping hand.
Clifford Food Bank
“We’ve been in pretty good shape,” said Bruce Shannon of the Clifford Food Bank. “Our number of clients is definitely down a bit and the public has been very generous so we’re actually stocked up pretty well.”
However, he did say the food bank is low in hygiene products like laundry detergents, dish detergents, shampoos, etc. He also said the food bank could use fresh vegetable and fruit donations.
Those looking to make a donation can leave a message at 519-327-8588 and a food bank representative will respond. The Clifford Food Bank serves 12 to 18 clients per month in the summer.
Drayton Food Bank
The Drayton Food Bank is pretty well stocked for the summer.
“We’ve got lots of canned stuff, we’ve got a few [items]that we buy every week, we’ve got enough money for that so no we’ve been pretty fortunate, we’re doing alright,” said food bank volunteer Shane Stege.
He said local organizations run local food drives throughout the year. Those interested in donating items can set up an appointment by calling the food bank at 519-504-2346 or they can drop off monetary donations to the Drayton Reformed Church. The Drayton Food Bank serves between four and eight clients a month.
EWCS
While the East Wellington Community Services food banks in Erin and Rockwood are stocked, they are depleting.
“Donations do come in quite steady but in the summer we are quite depleted so … there’s always stuff we need anyway that kind of goes quickly that we need replenished all the time,” said care coordinator Natalie Soteroff.
Some items that are needed include: non-sugar cereal, oatmeal, jam, pancake mix, honey, crackers, cookies, canned fruit and vegetables, hearty soups, canned fish and meat, peanut free kids lunch snacks, side dishes, instant coffee and tea, juice, toiletries, dish soap, laundry soap and canned pastas.
“It’s just like a list of stuff that we’re always kind of low on and especially for the summer because kids are out of school so we want to be able to give more snacks and stuff like that to them,” she said.
In Erin there are about 20 to 28 clients served per month and Rockwood serves between 4 and 20 clients a month.
Those interested in donating can drop items off at the East Wellington Community Services offices in both Erin and Rockwood.
Harriston Food Bank
The Harriston Food Bank has also been faring well over the summer months.
“We get a lot of support from our local churches so we do very well that way and they’re always getting us food on a regular basis and we’re at the end of the school year we got a bunch of stuff from the school again,” said food bank volunteer Dave Mallet.
However, even though the food bank is in good shape there are still some items that are needed.
“We’re always in need of different things like we buy a lot of meats because basically it’s difficult to donate that sort of stuff,” he said. “But as far as the others go like the staples you’re always going through lots of soup and you’re always going through lots of peanut butter and you know bread and that kind of thing.”
The food bank serves about 25 clients a month. To make a donation call 519-510-3663.
Mount Forest Community Pantry
The Mount Forest Community Pantry is in a similar position to the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
“Our stores always go down in the summer, people forget about us I think,” said Rapp. “We have had a couple of really nice donations lately but our shelves are getting depleted.”
The items that are most in need now are juices, canned meats and tuna, cereal, canned fruit, cookies and crackers, Rapp explained.
The Mount Forest Community Pantry serves about 40 to 50 clients each month, which is approximately 140 to 150 people. One of the unique donors for the Mount Forest Community Pantry are birthday parties. “They called this week to say we had a birthday party for this person and a birthday party for that person and they were bringing us four or five boxes of food too,” Rapp said. “It’s a good return.”
Those looking to make a donation can call 519-323-9218 or send a monetary donation to Box 54, Mount Forest, N0G 2L0.
Palmerston Food Bank
“We are actually very, very, very fortunate in that we get more than enough donations be it food or money to keep us going so we’re in an unusual position that we can serve everyone,” food bank president Barb Burrows said.
She said a large part of the security comes from local churches. “They do weekly collections etcetera so I won’t say we won’t take anything but we at this point in time do not have to put a call out for necessities. We are more than able to handle that right now.”
In June the food bank had over 30 requests.
However, being well stocked the main thing the food bank is looking at donors for is canned fruits and vegetables.
“Right now we don’t really have a request out for school lunches of course but it’s always nice to be able to give snacks out to anybody,” she said.
However, Burrows did say it’s sometimes a good thing to deplete the shelves a bit in the summer in preparation for the Christmas rush.
“Our goal ideally is to get the shelves a little bare in the summer because we do sort by best before dates and other things, at Christmas (and) the month of December we’re just swamped,” Burrows said. “You (can) just barely find cupboard space let alone sort for dates or anything else.
“It’s sort of nice to have the summer when it’s a little calmer and you can actually get organized again.”
Burrows said that one of the local churches has different focuses each week for donations. “Which is wonderful because that way you don’t get the same thing over and over again,” she said. To make a donation call 519-417-4774 and leave a message.
