NEWS RELEASE
HELPING HAND FOOD BANK
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The Helping Hand Food Bank is marking its 30th anniversary serving the community today. The Food Bank was incorporated by a group of dedicated volunteers on March 13, 1991.
“Over the past 30 years, the Food Bank has become a vital way to fill the gaps in social services to ensure local families and individuals experiencing food insecurity get the food they need,” said Carolyn Khan, president of the Food Bank.
“Our town has come together throughout the previous decades; the town providing us our facility, the Holland Marsh farmers and local grocery stores regularly donating food, and places of worship, community groups and local residents hosting fundraising and food-drive events. This extraordinary collaboration ensures we can provide groceries to our neighbours who need help.”
“Looking ahead, we have big plans to grow the Food Bank’s operations as our community continues to grow. With COVID-19, the need for our services has increased, but so, too, has the generosity of the community: last year was our most successful year for fundraising, with over $280,000 raised from 268 individual donors. This includes a $40,500 grant from the County of Simcoe’s Emergency Relief Fund for charitable organizations struggling to adapt to the increasing demands of COVID-19,” explained Khan.
“As we look forward to our move into the new community hub at 177 Church St, we know the transition into a much larger facility gives us an opportunity to expand and improve our operations. We have big plans this spring to deliver food right to seniors in our newly donated van, launch a capital campaign to help fund the move and to unveil an updated website and brand,” said Khan.
“Food banks in North America started as a stop-gap measure to help those struggling financially but today we have become a permanent part of the social safety net. We know that means we have to continue to grow and become more adept at serving this growing community.”
In 2020, there were 872 patrons served an average of 1.5 times per month, for an approximate total of 1310 total visits in 2020. Of those served, 46 per cent were children. There are roughly 43,650 people living in Bradford West Gwillimbury. That means that the food bank serves roughly 2 per cent of the entire population in town.
For more information about how to donate to the food bank or how to register as a client, please contact the food bank at 905-775-2824 or email [email protected].
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