Record Community Care food drive sparks momentum
After setting a new record at last Friday’s food drive, Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold hopes the momentum continues.
The organization’s executive director, Betty-Lou Souter, said the Great Holiday Food Drive at St. Catharines city hall — it was presented by Bell Media radio stations 610 CKTB, 105.7 EZ Rock and 97.7 HTZ FM — brought in about $280,000 in cash, food, clothes and toys.
That’s $5,000 more than a year earlier.
“Has it helped us get where we have to go? Absolutely. And we’re getting closer each and every day,” Souter said. “Certainly we have a fair bit of a way to go, but we’re getting there inch by inch.”
It’s enough to get the agency through the Christmas season and well into next year.
“It has us well-positioned,” she said. “It creates the momentum to keep it going and going. Put it this way, the phone hasn’t stopped and we’re doing all kinds of stuff. That’s very positive for us.”
But considering the ever-increasing costs of food and other items, Souter said $280,000 isn’t worth as much as it was — even a year ago.
“We probably need to re-evaluate it.”
Although estimating donations by their financial value is a standard used by the Ontario Association of Food Banks, Souter said it is “under discussion.”
Meanwhile, she said the organization has also seen an increasing number of people pitching in for its Adopt a Family program.
Nearly 200 people have so far registered to be part of the program, and pitch in to help families in need during the holiday season.
“There are more people who want to reach out in that way, so that’s very positive for us,” she said.
“Everybody likes to do the adopt a family piece because it’s a feel good story where they’re given names of people and they go out and choose (gifts) for them.”
Most participants have been assigned families in need of assistance, and have already gone on shopping trips to fill wish lists of those families.
“We make sure that nobody has been left out. We have a cadre of special Santas who help us when push comes to shove,” Souter said.
More information about the program is available at communitycarestca.ca/adopt-a-family.ABenner@postmedia.com twitter.com/abenner1