It’s a busy time at the Helping Hand Food Bank in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Not only are there clients to welcome three times a week at the food bank on Moore Street, there are donations to be sorted and shelved, as schools and businesses wrap up their food drives. And there will be hampers to be prepared for those who have asked for a helping hand at Christmas.
On Friday morning, the food bank was a scene of bustle. Grade 12 students from Holy Trinity Catholic High School on a retreat came by to volunteer their services.
They not only unloaded the boxes of non-perishable food collected during the high school’s own Thanksgiving food drive, they helped carry in the food collected by South Simcoe police at this year’s Copper Cup.
The annual Copper Cup pits a police hockey team against Bradford District High School students. This year was the third annual Copper Cup, held Nov. 13 at the BWG Leisure Centre, and admission was a donation of cash or non-perishable food.
Const. Nicole Kostiuk not only organized the game, she delivered the donations of food — and a cheque for $1,191.57 to a delighted food bank president Anne Silvey and treasurer Alvin Belanger.
“Wow,” said Silvey, asking, “who won the hockey game?”
“The students,” said Kostiuk.
Holy Trinity volunteers carried the boxes of food inside St. Mary’s Hall, and then rolled up their sleeves to unpack, sort, discard foodstuffs past their best-before date, repack and restock the shelves.
The food bank’s distribution of Christmas hampers and toys will take place Dec. 20 at Holy Martyrs of Japan Parish Hall (at the back entrance).
Bradford Moving in Holland Landing has donated the cardboard boxes needed to pack and transport the food items, and a cube van will be rented for two days to move everything from stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy, turkeys and hams, to gloves donated by Walmart, to the parish hall where a small army of volunteers will fill the hampers.
Facing hardship this holiday season? There is still time to register for help with the Helping Hand Food Bank, until the end of November. See bradfordfoodbank.ca.
