The Partners in Mission Food Bank has been serving the Kingston community since 1984, and the Spring Food Blitz has been one of the largest food drives and fundraisers for the charitable organization since day one.
The food bank says the one-day event on Saturday was essential for the food bank in its battle against food insecurity.
Volunteers were spread out across the city at 11 different grocery stores in the area, collecting much-needed food and money donations.
“Last year was a record for us,” says Dan Irwin, executive director for Partners in Mission Food Bank.
“We helped over 7,200 people, and this year, we’re 6.6 per cent above what we did last year, as of the end of March. In March alone we helped 3,409 people.”
Food price inflation is a leading cause that has led more people to look to the food bank to feed themselves and their families.
The food bank has set a goal of 35,000 pounds of food for the one-day event. The success of the food blitz is critical to the Partners in Mission Food Bank’s ability to meet the need of the community over the summer months.
While the demand remains the same, donations traditionally slow down.
“Everybody’s busy with vacations and cottages and everything, so we try to get a jump on that,” Irwin says.
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In all, over 120 volunteers from area businesses, high schools and service organizations, like the Rotary Club of Kingston, took time out to lend a helping hand.
“These days, every day I go in the grocery store I cringe,” says Kathleen Vance, a volunteer from Empire Life.
“But it makes me thankful that I can afford to buy what I need to buy and what I want to buy — a lot of people can’t these days.”
Most important is the ongoing support from individual community members who donate to support the work of the food bank.
“We saw so much need, we felt that the food bank would be an excellent choice for us to give to,” says Connie Ball, a regular donor to the food bank.
“So we do give on a monthly basis, besides these extra callouts for support from the organization.”
Whether it’s a one-time donation or a monthly contribution, officials with the food bank are grateful, knowing this helps them continue to provide healthy food to more than 1,600 families in the Kingston area on a monthly basis.
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