Overwhelming response for food call
Downtown Mission inundated
With increasing need at the Downtown Mission, the response to a recent call for cereal to help with a shortage was “absolutely out of this world.”
Executive director Chandra Dass said since the call was put out two weeks ago, more than 2,000 boxes have been donated.
“It’s just fantastic, just tremendous,” said Dass.
He said it’s very easy for breakfast to get pushed aside by struggling families. He doesn’t want to see this happen, especially with school back in session.
“It’s important for kids to eat breakfast to be better prepared for learning.
“It’s so easy to relate to something like breakfast and cereal and children. It just seems to touch people’s hearts,” said Dass. “And it’s just something people say, ‘Oh, there’s something I can easily do.’”
Ron Dunn, director of development and community relations for the mission, said there have been several cereal drives throughout the city and some that are ongoing.
On Friday, he went to pick up a load of cereal boxes at HotelDieu Grace Hospital following a weeklong campaign. The number of boxes he discovered far exceeded what he ever expected, he said.
“I showed up in a (Ford) Focus, but I needed a semi. I had to call for backup,” Dunn said of the Hotel-Dieu haul — more than 650 boxes.
“It was quite inspirational, actually, to see all of that happen. And it was just a one-week challenge, too. One department challenged another, and it just blew up. It was really impressive to see.”
Another campaign was waged by waitress Nancy Luscome, who exceeded her goal of collecting and donating 100 cereal boxes.She said she was moved to take action after reading about the need in the Sept. 25 Windsor Star, and then talking to a worker at the mission about it.
“This is a monthly thing they go through, and it breaks my heart,” said Luscombe. The Montana’s Cookhouse server decided to call on not only staff to donate, but customers as well.
During one Friday and Saturday night, she wore a sign on her back that read: “Accepting donations to buy cereal for the Downtown Mission.”
She said she was overwhelmed by the support and was able to collect $215 from customers. One couple donated $50, she said.
But what brought her to tears was a donation given by a group of children who were dining at the restaurant with their families.
“There were six kids tugging on my shirt to give me $30. I was literally crying,” she recalled.
“It’s one thing for the parents to say ‘Here you go,’ with the donation, but to explain to their kids what it was for and for the kids to give me the donation and to say it and understand, to me that was just the best.”
Luscombe said that she was at a loss for words. “It was just unbelievable.” The Mission’s Dunn said it felt like Christmas morning as he and Dass worked together to unpack what seemed like an endless supply of cereal.
Dass said The Mission has enough cereal for now and is looking to stock up on items such as macaroni and cheese, meat products in cans and jams or jellies.