Food bank challenge helps sort donations in fast, fun way
KITCHENER — Ready, set, sort!
With the clock ticking, two teams frantically began sorting cans, boxes and bags of donated food into labelled boxes in the Great Food Sort Challenge at the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
“Ultimately, what they’re doing is helping us get a lot of work done,” said Wendi Campbell, chief executive officer.
This week, 28 teams from 14 local businesses signed up to compete for the top title of champion. Along with helping out in the food bank’s warehouse, the teams collect food and money in their workplace.
The annual challenge has raised the equivalent of 263,493 meals for people in need in Waterloo Region. The goal this year is to top 68,000 meals.
The teams sorted food collected recently at Oktoberfest events, grocery store boxes and food drives to ready it for distribution to the 100 programs the food bank supports.
A giant bin of food weighing upwards of 600 pounds was dropped next to a team’s table. Two people hurriedly unloaded the contents onto the table, and the rest of the team grabbed items to plunk in the appropriate smaller boxes lined up around them.
The pace was frenetic as they had to sort as many large bins as possible within the allotted 30 minutes. To add a twist, oven mitts had to be worn for part of the challenge.
“This is fun for them, but they’re also learning,” Campbell said.
The food bank’s next charitable challenge is Canstruction on Wednesday evening, an annual event that has teams build structures out of donated food.
Engaging people in the food bank’s work is vital, Campbell said. “We need the community to help us do what we do.”
MTE has joined the sorting challenge for about six years.
“It’s a quick half-hour to do a lot of good. We’re happy to be a part of it,” said team member Hilary Childerhose.
Although a fun time, it’s not easy. Childerhose joked that the team’s motto is “If you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough.”
“It’s pretty intense. We find that we’re very competitive.”