A call to the community on World Homeless Day.
The Salvation Army Windsor Centre of Hope is turning to the community for help to restock its food bank as the need for food assistance continues to grow.
The annual food drive will be held Friday (Oct 9) in recognition of the day from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at eight grocery stores across Windsor-Essex.
People are encouraged to donate non-perishable items, including canned goods, pasta, rice, instant noodles, cereal, peanut butter, and oatmeal.
The food collected will help to sustain the food bank throughout the winter months.
Jason Linton, Executive Director of The Salvation Army Windsor Centre of Hope, says the food bank is seeing significant demand.
“So far this year our food bank has recorded an average of 1,300 individual visits each month, and that reflects the ongoing need for food support in our community, and so what we’re asking is to help fill the food bank by donating non-perishable items.”
He says the rising cost of living is forcing more people to make difficult decisions.
“People are in positions where they have to make very difficult choices, like impossible choices. Do I go buy groceries and put food on my table, or do I pay my rent? Which one is it? And that’s an impossible choice. So through our food bank initiatives we’re trying to help people take the burden off of their shoulders a little bit and help them through that.”
Linton says they’re making it as easy as possible for the community to donate.
“We will provide them with a list of things that are in need as a person enters the store. So while they’re shopping, they can have that in hand and think about us, hopefully. And as they leave, we have a desk there that they can drop those things off.”
Donations can be dropped off at the Superstore on Dougall and Walker Road, Zehrs locations on Manning, Malden and Parkway, Metro stores on Central and Howard, and Tony and Kathy’s No Frills on Tecumseh Road.
The Salvation Army says LaSalle Police, Windsor Police, Ontario Provincial Police and the Rotary Club of Walkerville will be supporting the initiative.