Don't forget food banks
Posted Mar 11, 2010 By EMC News
Email
Print
Tweet ThisEMC Editorial - A quick look back a couple of months, and our communities were being congratulated for their generous support of local food banks. Especially at such a giving time of year, those most vulnerable hundreds of families with young children could breathe a little easier knowing they would be able to put food on the table.
Fast forward to March, and while the demand has not changed, in fact it may be even greater, the donations have slowed. In Smiths Falls, for example, where the blow of multiple industrial and government closures continues to be felt, the community food bank keeps setting new records in terms of the number of clients. In February alone, 239 families made use of the SFCFB. Of that total, 28 were new to the organization.
What's particularly worrisome is the fact the numbers are actually expected to grow in the weeks and months ahead.
While local food retailers are very supportive of area food banks, not only in Smiths Falls, but Perth, Carleton Place and Kemptville, the call has to go out to those individuals, groups and businesses that don't find themselves in a crisis situation.
While it's heart-warming to know our communities are ready and willing to rally at Christmas time, the real challenge is to make that commitment at different times of the year. It seems unfathomable that hundreds of Canadian children, living in one of the richest nations in the world, must go to bed hungry. But such are the times in which we live, with lay-offs and bankruptcies all around us.
When completing your grocery shopping, try to add a couple of extra non-perishable items in your cart. Better yet, organize a food drive that will help those in your community who, through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times.
blog comments powered by Disqus
