RELEASE: Annual Port Colborne Lions Club Food Drive
More low income families struggling with food security and basic needs
Port Cares asks local residents to give what they can for the Annual Port Colborne Lions Club Food Drive - Saturday, October 19th
(October 15, 2024 - PORT COLBORNE) For Port Cares Reach Out Centre and Food Bank its situation critical as the local charity gears up for its Annual Port Colborne Lions Food Drive – taking place this year on Saturday, October 19th –
“We’ve been ringing the alarms for the past two year about the high cost of housing, inflation and skyrocketing food inflation. All households are certainly feeling the strain of food inflation and housing and we are seeing it every day as food donation levels decline and need for assistance remains steady. The gap between need and available resources gets wider every day. As we come off of our individual Thanksgiving celebrations we need to remember that there are more households than ever before that can’t afford these types of celebrations,” explains Christine Clark Lafleur, Chief Executive Officer, Port Cares which runs the Reach Out Centre Food Bank in Port Colborne.
Clark-Lafleur who also serves as the Corporate Secretary and an Executive member on the Board of Directors of FEED Ontario -the provincial association of registered food banks - knows full well that the food bank utilization trend is continuing to grow. “Every city and town across the province has its own struggles right now. Here in Port Colborne and Wainfleet we have been fortunate to have such a giving, neighborly and compassionate community. However, our community supporters are no longer able to give at the levels they were once able to give.” Clark Lafleur notes that last year’s food drive yielded significantly less than what we have historically collected at 16,000 pounds – down from the average 26,000 to 30,000 pounds of food that usually was collected.
This year’s Port Colborne Lions Food Drive takes place is Saturday, October 19th. “The Lions ask local residents to put their non-perishable donations out on your porch or at their front door by 9 a.m. and their wonderful volunteers will pick them up by noon.,” says Clark Lafleur. “We really hope that by spreading the word, the Lions Food Drive will realize enough food to get our food bank through the tough winter months,” say Clark Lafleur noting that in the past six months the agency has spent nearly $100,000 purchasing food for distribution through the food bank as donations have dwindled and need has increased.
Special thanks are extended to the Port Colborne Lions Club, Christian Life Assembly Church for once again hosting the collection.
Interested volunteers can contact Lion Laura Sachs at 289-407-0106 or Lion Jan Fuaco at 905-835-8157 to sign up to be a driver for the food pick-ups.
