Last week’s “Cram the Cruiser” food drive, hosted by Jamie Yeo of Picton Foodland and Sgt John Hatch of the OPP, was a great success. All 300 donation bags sold out almost immediately, and a further $600 came in the form of donations. Organizers for the Picton United Church Food Bank, Sue Hyatt and Seona Halsey, are hugely grateful.

The Food Bank has been in business since 1984. Once just a cupboard, it now occupies a significant part of the church basement. Back rooms contain refrigerators and freezers, and shelves of non-perishable items. A front room is open to clients on Friday mornings. There is nothing surprising on the surface, in other words, but just below is an elaborate operation run by 15-20 volunteers, all dedicated to getting food to those who need it. The Picton Food Bank is a hub for various agencies who share the mission. It supplies the Hope Centre, the ROC, the Library Pantry and Food to Share, among others. “Any agency, really, that comes and needs it,” says coordinator Seona Halsey, who has been working quietly behind the scenes for thirty years.

The open door for regular clients on Friday mornings is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the week the bank receives food donations (Thursdays between 10-12 is preferred), processes the finances, compares notes with other agencies — What do you need? Can you use this? we’ve got a lot of it this week! — and organizes deliveries to various locations to make sure that nothing goes to waste.

It is a member of larger networks like Food Rescue, which coordinates with the many local stores — Metro, Foodland, Starbucks, No Frills — that send overstocked perishable items every week. Despite the abundance of help — the Bank has a strong cadre of supporters, both financial and hands-on — volunteer Sandy Bowser, who helps balance the books, notes that demand outstrips the supply of both food and cash. “Food Banks across Ontario have seen a dramatic rise in usage over the last year and the County is no exception. We have seen a 58% increase in people needing assistance.”

Speaking for the entire organization, Sue Hyatt said, “we are truly thankful for the continued support of County residents, businesses and groups. The Food Bank is totally dependent on donation funding and is a volunteer run organization.”

For more information about donating, volunteering, or accessing the services of the Food Bank, call 613 476-8516.For more information about donating, volunteering, or accessing the services of the Food Bank, call 613 476-8516.