'It’s scary to go grocery shopping': In-house food bank hopes to shore up donations as prices rise
With the dramatic rise in the cost of food, a grass-roots food bank at a London community housing apartment building is hoping to shore up support heading into the colder months.
“We have between 80 and 90 people now every month, which is a lot of people,” said Fran Wassmer of The Caring Cupboard. “It takes a lot of food to cover them, and I hate to see seniors go without food.”
The in-house food bank operates out of 30 Baseline Rd West and is run by a group of tenants. It serves just the tenants in the building — most of whom are seniors living on fixed incomes, Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Payments.
One of the coordinators, Mary Blancher, said they estimate that by this winter their list of tenants asking for help will have increased by 50 per cent since the start of the pandemic.
“We have some fantastic donors that are really generous to us, but it’s not going to be enough moving forward,” said Blancher. “The wintertime, we have people with disabilities, they’re not going to be able to get out as much to the stores. So we figure that our numbers are going to increase probably about ten per cent or more.”
Volunteer Margaret Robertson, a client herself, said she wouldn’t be able to get through the month without the help.
“Well it’s scary to go grocery shopping because everything has gone up, yeah. And nobody makes you feel like you’re a less person because you’re coming in and getting things here,” said Robertson.
The Caring Cupboard opens doors on the third Wednesday of every month. The timing is no accident, because it’s around the third week of the month that organizers say many people living on government assistance run out of money and run out of food.
Wassmer said she believes that by operating an in-house service they are also taking a small amount of pressure off of the London Food Bank.
“Trying to do the best we can to help everybody have food.”
Anyone wishing to donate to The Caring Cupboard can drop off donations to 30 Baseline Rd. West on Fridays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. or call Fran Wassmer at 519-777-4808.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.