Thanksgiving Food Drive In Sharbot Lake

North Frontenac Food Bank | Oct 03, 2013

On the Thanksgiving weekend, volunteers with the North Frontenac Food Bank will be working with Mike Dean’s Grocery Store and other local businesses for the first of what they hope will become an annual food drive.

Even the local school children are getting involved. Students from various junior classes at the Granite Ridge School are creating autographed autumn leaves which, over the next 2 weeks, Mike Dean’s Grocery Store will be displaying with each cash donation of more than $3. All proceeds will go to the food bank.

Food bank volunteers will also be at Mike Dean’s on Friday & Saturday, Oct 11 and 12 collecting cash, as well as your food donations. Food donations can also be dropped off any time at the Sharbot Lake Marina.

With the start of school this past month, the food bank is facing one of its busiest times and the cupboards are looking bare.

“We’re asking the community to help where it can” said the North Frontenac Food Bank’s new president, Kim Cucoch. Whether you donate food or make a cash donation, every little bit helps. And as you close up your cottage for the season, please keep the food bank in mind for any left over food products you might have.

Helping the food bank is a great way to help your neighbours and your community. Also, if you make a cash donation the food bank, upon request, can provide you with a charitable donation slip for your taxes.

There are also other ways to help. The food bank is in need of new volunteers. With the retirement of long-time president, Brenda Piat, the food bank is currently looking for a new coordinator who can work a few hours, one or two weeks per month, dealing with client intake and requests. The coordinator position requires discretion and confidentiality.

The food bank is also looking for people willing to volunteer an hour or so on a Tuesday and Friday morning, once every month or two. As some of the volunteers are retired and go away for the winter, the food bank will be short of volunteers to hand out food boxes on those morning and to repack the boxes. “The work is not difficult and it really feels good to help out” said local volunteer Tracy Bamford. “As my Nanny Mary said, many hands make light work.”

The North Frontenac Food Bank serves a wide region from north of Plevna to south of Parham, and east of Arden and west of Sharbot Lake. The food bank relies on your donations and is staffed by community volunteers. In 2012 the food bank provided food assistance for more than 650 people in our community, many of whom were children.