It’s that simple.
Our mandate is to eliminate food insecurity in Dundas and Stormont Counties. We do this by collecting and purchasing food and distributing it to those who need the help of their neighbours. In ‘normal times’ (remember those days), all of our food and cash donations came from the generous people of our community. Individuals, businesses, service clubs, churches, and schools would hold campaigns and donate to Community Food Share. During the past three years, some of these campaigns were cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, and we were unable to hold important fund-raising events, such as Empty Bowls, Fill-A-Bag, and the CP Holiday Train (in-person edition).
At the same time, the number of families who need help has increased.
Two things have allowed us to maintain our level of service to the community. First, governments at all levels have provided grants to help us cover our routine operating costs; usually, we would not receive direct government assistance. Second, and most importantly, our donors have significantly increased their contributions.
Community Food Share has only three employees, and only one is full-time. Volunteers provide all the labour required to process our food inventory. And, of course, our Board of Directors are all volunteers. Over the past twenty-five years, we have become highly efficient while remaining frugal so that our value chain is designed for maximum benefit to those who support us and those we serve.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to all our friends in Dundas and Stormont Counties that continue to provide their generous support – through us – to their neighbours. I also want to thank our very loyal volunteers who enable us to do our important work. And, finally, I want to thank our staff and my fellow board members for their inspiring focus on our challenging tasks.
Jim Wilson, Board Chair, Community Food Share, January 2022
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