The Bargain Shop and Fort Frances Salvation Army have joined forces to collect donations of non-perishable foods to ensure everyone can have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This week marked the beginning of The Bargain Shop’s annual food drive “Together We Care,” with all proceeds and food donations going towards helping the Salvation Army’s local food bank. The Bargain Shop Fort Frances manager Dawn Gray and Salvation Army Fort Frances corps officer Arthur Heathcote were on hand to kick off the food drive and explain a bit about the benefits it has for those in need in the community.
“The food drive is running until Friday, October 10,” Gray explained.
“It is our annual food drive. We are accepting food and cash donations, the cash donations go right through the tills. We will then purchase whatever the Salvation Army is still requiring.”
Apart from cash donations, Gray said the Salvation Army has provided a comprehensive list of the types of items they are asking the public to donate. The list includes canned meats and fruit, hot and cold cereals, dried pasta, boxeso f Kraft Dinner, canned soups, crackers and snack or granola bars.
– Ken Kellar photo
The Bargain Shop is a frequent collaborator when it comes to charity and fundraising drives in Fort Frances, and Gray said the corporation itself is focused on helping those in need, particularly because their stores tend to pop up in smaller municipalities who might not always have plenty of alternatives.
“The company is really trying to make sure we have a good connection with all of our communities,” she said.
“All of our stores are located in smaller communities, so sometimes, I think in bigger areas, there are more chances that local community members get more. In the smaller communities, sometimes things get forgotten, so our company is pushing us to ensure that we reach out to all the organizations and help out where we can. Every year we do a food drive and a toy drive, but there are other options for us as well.”
The Bargain Shop’s banner of “Together We Care” is a reminder to the public and the stores that everyone can work together to help those in need, especially as many people continue to recover from the negative impacts of the COVID pandemic. Gray said she’s hopeful this food drive will help those in need get a helping hand in time for Thanksgiving.
Heathcote said he’s always thankful to community partners who use their time and storefronts to help collect donations for those in need.
“We’re very grateful to The Bargain Shop to be the beneficiaries of the donations that are raised throughout this time,” he said.
“It’s an exceptional way for the community to get involved, and we so appreciate that The Bargain Shop takes this initiative every year. There’s been an increase once again this year at the food bank, we’ve had 119 new families since January of this year. So far we’ve distributed about 62,000 pounds of food, so the need is definitely there, especially at this time of year. It seems as though shelves start to dwindle a bit, and that’s why we appreciate The Bargain Shop so much. They help keep our shelves stocked through the generosity of the community.”
