Fresh meals now served at food bank

For the first time in its 30-plus-year history, the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre is offering pre-made meals at its Athens Street food bank.

Thanks to a partnership that was set up with Cake & Loaf and its customers in early September, the west Mountain food bank recently began offering a limited amount of chicken pot pies, salads, cookies, granola bars and other freshly made products from the Dundurn Street business.

“This is our way of giving back to the community,” said Cake & Loaf co-owner Josie Rudderham.

Rudderham said she wanted to give the 1,200 families that use the food bank each month more choices to go along with the canned goods and seasonal fresh produce.

“Once I heard that they had fridges and they had fresh (produce) available, we thought how amazing would it be to get quality food there on a biweekly basis, fresh salads, meals that are ready to go.”

Rudderham said their customers have the option of purchasing a variety of food items and packages that will be delivered to the food bank and 20 per cent of the price of those purchases will also go to Neighbour to Neighbour.

The first delivery included 13 kilograms of pre-made food items.

Rudderham, who is a big supporter of the Hamilton living-wage campaign, said Cake & Loaf expects to drop off several hundred kilograms worth of food and hand over a cheque in the amount of several hundred dollars by the time the food bank campaign wraps up in mid-December.

Food donations can also be made online at cakeandloaf.ca.

“It will make a huge difference,” said Charlotte Redekop-Young, manager of emergency food services at the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre.

Denise Arkell, executive director of Neighbour to Neighbour, noted donations of pre-made meals or freshly baked goods are only accepted from licensed producers.