Catholic Church to hold food drive for Moisson Estrie
At a time when many are preparing for a well deserved summer rest, the need for donations at local food bank Moisson Estrie remains significant. To respond to that need, Sherbrooke Archbishop Monseigneur Luc Cyr is once again calling on the local community to help the organization through the diocese’s sixth annual non perishable food drive.
"Your contribution can make a difference in the lives of people in need," Cyr said.
The collection will take place during special services on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10 at participating parishes. In these churches, specially marked food and money donation boxes will be set out to take public contributions. For the communities that already have a food bank, donations will remain in the community.
"Thanks to this collection, we can replenish our shelves at a time of year when food donations are less common,” said Geneviève Côté, Moisson Estrie’s Executive Director. “These donations will be used to provide food relief to people in need, well beyond the holiday season. We encourage the donation of pasta, legumes, canned fruit and vegetables, canned meat, and snacks for lunch boxes. All non-perishable goods are welcome! "
Moisson Estrie also collects donations of personal hygiene products. This year, collected feminine hygiene products will be donated to organizations working with homeless women.
Last year the diocese’s collection drive raised $ 6,171 and 1,577 kg of food for Moisson Estrie.
" Moisson Estrie advises and accompanies people in need, giving them access to resources that make a difference in their lives,” Côté added. “In 2017, Moisson Estrie redistributed $ 4,500,000 worth of commodities (approximately 727,000 kg), directly or through thirty or so organizations in the region.”
Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) leader Francois Legault was in Sherbrooke on Monday to announce that former city councilor Bruno Vachon will be the CAQ candidate in Sherbrooke. The announcement marks the third candidate for the party in the region after the presentation of André Bachand for the Richmond riding in March and Geneviève Hébert in Saintfrancois in April.
“A new step in my life is beginning today,” Vachon said. “We want change, we want a better world for our children.
If that is going to be the case we need people who will be engaged, and I want to be among them.”
The former member of Sherbrooke’s executive council and one-time representative for Rock Forest said that he feels the CAQ has the most interesting political platform and the one he sees himself in the most. Stating that he still feels he has contributions to make in the local community, Vachon highlighted work on Sherbrooke’s healthcare establishements and public transit as major areas of attention should he be elected this fall.
“We need change in Quebec,” Legault said, praising Vachon’s enegagement in the community on top of his management experience and political background. “We need to do more and do better,” he said, referencing his party’s new slogan while stating that he feels Vachon can bring that mission home in Sherbrooke.
Legault repeated the intention to see his party make sweeping victories across the Eastern Townships, stating that he would accept nothing less than a CAQ representative in each of the six Eastern Townships ridings fallowing the fall election.
Vachon is running in the only Eastern Townships riding with a Liberal MNA who intends to run again. Luc Fortin has served under several ministerial portfolios since his election in 2014 and is currently the Minister of Families.