The Whitchurch-Stouffville Food Bank assisting more clients. Your help is needed

With Christmas and Chanukkah coming soon, most of us are enjoying the whole festive time: planning our gifts, planning our festive meals and get-togethers.

Food is always a huge part of family and friends’ celebrations and it feels good to go to our local grocery stores to buy what we need.

But I can’t help thinking about those who can’t afford the food their family needs, especially now. And with perhaps little money for presents, what do you tell the kids? And if you are hungry some days of the month yourself…?

This is what more people than ever are experiencing in town and they are turning to the Whitchurch-Stouffville Food Bank for help.

A year ago at Christmas, so many people visited the Food Bank on one day (36 people representing 88 family members in total) that it had to open a second morning each week.

Now clients can visit the Food Bank on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. until noon to tide them over. 

“This year we had over 2,000 visitors, representing between 4,000 to 5,000 people,” noted Anand Date, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Food Bank. 

He noted that all volunteers and Board members are unpaid and that “100 per cent of monetary donations go to the purchase of food and operation of the facility.”

Volunteers are trained in safe food handling and warehouse procedures. They come in to the Food Bank on Tuesdays and Thursday to restock and ready the facility for the next opening. The Food Bank requests that volunteers make a commitment of eight months to a year to train well for their role.

At this time of year, donations that will help the Food Bank the most are:

Monetary donations and gift cards as well as children’s school snacks, cookies, crackers, condiments, and personal hygiene items, including feminine hygiene products, and non-perishable food items.

And don’t forget, the need doesn’t go away after the holidays.

To donate or volunteer, you can e-mail to info@wsfoodbank.com, call 905-591-4443 or drop off monetary donations, gift cards or food at 86 Ringwood Drive, Unit 25 in Stouffville during their open times. Special arrangements can be made for a specific drop-off time at the Food Bank.

Check out the website at wsfoodbank.com