Food drive in June to support Kawartha Food Share, which serves Peterborough city and county

A month-long food drive in Peterborough and Peterborough County will support Kawartha Food Share as it prepares for the summer months.

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced the food drive on Monday morning, noting grocery stores in Peterborough, Selwyn Township, the Municipality of Trent Lakes and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen will be participating in the non-perishable food drive.

Kawartha Food Share supports 37 Peterborough and County food banks, food cupboards and meal programs that help to feed over 7,700 people monthly.

Smith will be hosting the food drives, which begin on Friday, June 4 at Morello’s Independent Grocer in Peterborough. That event will support the North Kawartha Township food bank in Apsley after Sayers Foods, the village’s only grocery store, was destroyed by a fire in December 2020.

“On behalf of Apsley and North Kawartha, I want to thank Morello’s Your Independent Grocer for hosting a special food drive to support our local food bank,” said North Kawartha Township Mayor Carolyn Amyotte. “Not having Sayer’s Foods to host our own food drive right now is very hard.

“MPP Smith and I were at Sayer’s the week before the fire hosting his ‘Winter is Coming’ food drive. He has been unwavering in his support and commitment to the residents of our community, and I am very grateful.”

Each food drive will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include:

• June 5: John’s Valu-Mart in Bridgenorth
• June 12: Buckhorn Foodland in Buckhorn
• June 19: Havelock Foodland in Havelock
• June 26: Lakefield Giant Tiger in Lakefield

“Every opportunity to support our townships is an opportunity that can’t be passed up,” said Smith. “COVID-19 has placed tremendous stress on the support system in our rural communities; these food banks support many families and it is critical these supports remain strong.”

Kawartha Food Share general manager Ashlee Aiken says food banks, in general, have seen an increase in clients throughout the pandemic.

“Donations tend to decrease during the summer months, so we are excited at the opportunity to lend a hand and help ensure our agencies’ shelves are well stocked,” she said.

Last November’s Winter is Coming food drive raised almost $40,000 worth of cash and food donations.

2:03 Kawartha Food Share holds ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ food drive

• Kawartha Food Share holds ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ food drive
• North Kawartha Township mayor ‘shocked’ by fire that destroyed grocery store Apsley
• Peterborough Spare a Square collects more than 13,500 pounds of food for Kawartha Food Share
• Kawartha Food Share faces several challenges due to COVID-19
• Low income means no nourishing food for some Peterborough residents

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