Emo food bank seeking support from community

The shelves at the Emo food bank are nearly bare—and co-ordinator Karen Whatley warned they need support from the community to keep it running.
“We’re keeping it open according to the support of the community. Right now we’re not receiving any other funding for it,” she explained.
“It would be nice if the community could be behind it and be a caring community.”
The food bank, located at St. George’s Anglican Church, serves families in the central area of Rainy River District by running two Wednesdays a month from 1-3 p.m.
“The last food bank we had 25 families come in two hours. That was the busiest we’ve ever been,” Whatley noted. “The trend has become busier lately and we’re not sure why the need has gone up.”
She said they try to give people enough food to last them for three days, whatever their family size is.
And although she understands they can’t guarantee that everyone who comes there is of dire need, Whatley stressed there definitely are people who use the food bank who do have legitimate needs.
However, since they do not want people to become dependent on the local food bank, they do limit how often families use the service.
“They can come once a month and three months in a row,” Whatley explained. “The food bank is there to help people over a crisis, so there are other things they can do.
“We give them names of people who can help them with financial issues, such as financial counselling.”
In addition, families are given pamphlets with information about purchasing healthy food boxes from Cloverleaf Grocery in Emo, which offers up nearly double the produce for the cost.
“That’s certainly worth it for those who are in dire need of something and have already used the food bank for three months,” Whatley remarked.
“We just encourage people to not become dependent on it and to try to find other means of help—to use the food bank only when it’s absolutely necessary so that we don’t run out,” she stressed.
The food at the food bank comes from churches and organizations in the community, and is purchased from donations of cash.
“Both is needed,” she stressed, noting when food is donated, they appreciate it to be staples, such as potatoes, rice, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, and canned meat.
As well, they often receive produce from people’s gardens, although they have not taken in a large amount of local produce this past season.
“Maybe people didn’t have good gardens this year,” she reasoned.
Whatley noted in addition to the need for donations of food and cash, they also require volunteers to put food into boxes for the two hours the food bank is open.
“We’re running the food bank according to what we have right now in workers and food, and looking at the need,” she reiterated. “But if people keep coming at the rate they’re coming, we’re going to have to run it more often because two hours isn’t long enough. . . .
“It’s one of these things that if the community is not going to support it, we’re not going to be able to run it,” she added.
Anyone wishing to make donations is asked to drop it off at the Emo food bank between 1-3 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of the month, or monetary donations can be mailed to Whatley c/o P.O. Box 353 Emo, Ont., P0W 1E0.
She also can be reached at 482-1566 for more information on the food bank, donations, or to volunteer.