Halloween for Hunger
New operators of Montague food bank looking for donations
This Halloween, the new operators of the Southern Kings and Queens Food Bank are calling on members of the community to donate food for an upcoming fundraiser.
The Halloween for Hunger campaign will take place in the Montague area on Oct. 31, with volunteers making the rounds and collecting bags of food left out during trick or treating hours. Donations will also be accepted at the food bank between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Vivian and Frank Dourte of Gaspereaux took over as volunteer co-ordinators of the food bank in early September and have been busy helping patrons.
“It’s a lot more work thank I thought it would be, that’s for sure,” Vivian said laughing. “But we have really great volunteers that come, and the more help you have, the easier the load gets.”
The couple stepped up to the plate after Lawrence and Marlene Power, who were the face of the food bank for nearly two decades, retired and moved to Nova Scotia.
“We wanted a way to give back to the community.”
Dourte said she and her husband are hoping to modernize the food bank and are in the process of developing a website.
They have also launched a Facebook page that will soon have a donation link where people can donate directly to the food bank online.
While the couple hasn’t had the chance to canvass the community for sponsorship, they are hoping a local business will host the website.
The Dourtes want to thank the Montague Superstore for raising 1,842 pounds of food for Thanksgiving, which Vivian said was “awesome” because the food bank was running low on supplies.
“It came at a really good time. It was perfect.”
The food bank is now working with Sobeys and is receiving some products the company is no longer able to sell.
“We’re able to add meat and cheese and that kind of stuff to our menu. It’s stuff they can’t sell commercially, but it’s still good food,” she said, adding the products will arrive frozen to the food bank and will be handed out to those in need.
While the non-food items on the food bank shelves are in good shape at the moment, Dourte said she’ll be looking for Christmas-related items come December.
“We can also always use winter coats and boots and that kind of thing.”