Six Nations food bank gets $20,000 donation after 'Catch the Ace' windfall

The food bank in Six Na‐ tions, Ont., was one of five to receive a $20,000 do‐ nation through the Hagersville District Lions Club Catch the Ace jackpot last week.

Mary Monture, board chair of Six Nations Commu‐ nity Food Bank, said between 50 and 200 people use the food bank daily, and more on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter and through the summer months.

The recent donation will help "continue to purchase more food because our num‐ bers keep going up," Monture said.

Last year the Hagersville Lions Club's Catch the Ace progressive jackpot raised about $18,000. This year it raised close to $2.8 million.

"We worked hard on get‐ ting the word out and ... by week 38, 39, it had gotten re‐ ally popular and then the me‐ dia picked up on it and then it snowballed into uncharted territory," said Dave Matten, Lions Club event chair.

Fifty per cent of the pro‐ ceeds went to the West Haldimand Hospital and Healthcare Foundation, 30 per cent went to the Hagersville Food Bank and 20 per cent went to the Lions

Club to distribute funds with‐ in the community and contin‐ ue programming.

"These days everything is so expensive, inflation is so high, costs increase, and peo‐ ple who were just on the verge are now in trouble and food banks have, more than ever, people come and seek help," he said.

Hagersville Food Bank gets 'huge windfall'

Food banks in Haldimand and Norfolk County have seen up to a 30 per cent in‐ crease in demand — and in the cost of food — in recent months, said Karen Leatherbarrow, board chair of the Hagersville Food Bank.

The Hagersville Food Bank received over $869,000 from the Lions Club following its Chase the Ace jackpot.

"When we received the money, we knew it was such a huge windfall for us and we definitely wanted to share with the other Haldimand food banks," Leatherbarrow said.

The Hagersville Food Bank gave the food banks in Cayu‐ ga, Jarvis, Caledonia, Dun‐ nville and Six Nations each $20,000, and $44,500 to a school nutrition program.

Leatherbarrow said emo‐ tions ran high on both sides when they presented the cheques.

"We're the same way — it's just, we were so thrilled to have this windfall and any windfall for anybody that works at a food bank, it just gives you goosebumps," said Leatherbarrow.

The food banks are volun‐ teer-run and rely on dona‐ tions, with cash dona‐ tions particularly beneficial, Monture said.

"Our purchasing power is better; we buy wholesale rather than retail," she said.