聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥淚t's a different year at the food bank,鈥� says Carlyle & District Food Bank chairperson, Darlene Burnett.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he number of requests we receive for food hampers has doubled since the fall,鈥� she continues. 鈥淚n November, we went from an average of 30 requests in the previous months to over 60 in November, and over 100 in December, with Christmas. This year, in both January and February, we've filled requests for over 60 hampers each month.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Longtime volunteer and past chair of the food bank, Marg Krenz agrees. 鈥淭his is the busiest it has ever been at the food bank, and I think it's because so many people are out of work.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The food bank-which has been in operation since 1989-serves communities throughout the area, with its headquarters located in the Carlyle United Church, which provides the registered charity space, rent-free.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Volunteers meet there on the third Wednesday of each month to assemble and distribute food hampers.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Recipients arrange to receive hampers through food bank volunteers, as well as through referrals from churches and social workers.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hampers are filled with non-perishables. On the morning of pick-up day, Carlyle Food World employees deliver fresh food items such as milk, bread, and fresh vegetables.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e have no storage for fresh food,鈥� says volunteer Myrla Holland. 鈥淪o we really appreciate Food World's employees delivering our food order and donated food and carrying it in for us. We have to order the fresh stuff ahead, so for someone to receive any of that in their hamper, we have to know the week before. But we do emergency hampers, too. They just won't have any perishables in them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The food bank has always operated as efficiently and economically as possible, say volunteers. And increasing demands placed upon them make it even more necessary to keep costs down, wherever possible.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淛ust listening to the news, all across Canada food banks are taking a hit,鈥� says Krenz. 鈥淎nd we're no different.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Holland agrees. 鈥淲ho uses the food bank?鈥� she says. 鈥淚t's everybody. There are single people, two-person families-which are often a mom and a child, smaller families of four people and families of five family members and up. Those categories are how we do our hampers and we serve people from all over this area, especially over Christmas.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to Holland, the increased demand for hampers at Christmastime is partly because: 鈥淎 lot of people can make it through the year just fine without the food bank, but Christmas is an extra they just can't manage.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e are very grateful to all of the support the food bank receives from our area communities,鈥� says Burnett. 鈥淭he food drives before Christmas go a long way as far as filling our shelves into winter, which is our busiest time. But this year, the food bank has already had to purchase some things-like peanut butter-because we've already run out. And we will have to contunue to buy things to fill these shelves.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e could use another food drive now.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The food bank gratefully accepts donations of food, cash (donations are tax-deductible), and volunteer hours.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e're not equipped to divide large quantities of food,鈥� says Holland. 鈥淪o if you're shopping for the food bank, smaller packages are ideal. And we welcome volunteers, too. Whether you can just do it once or whether you become a regular volunteer, it's a really rewarding thing to do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To make arrangements to receive a hamper or to volunteer, please contact one of the following food bank contact persons:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Darlene Burnett, Carlyle. 453-2267
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Arrol Young, Arcola. 455-2649
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Annette Lenouail, Redvers area. 452-3915
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jaime Brimner, Manor. 448-2278
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Deb Phillips, Wawota. 739-2434
