January 25, 2013
Scotiabank Donates to Barrhaven Food Cupboard
Barrhaven, ON —Jeff Darwin, Vice President for Scotiabank’s Ottawa River District, was at Ross’ Independent Grocer on Friday morning where he presented a cheque to the Barrhaven Food Cupboard in honour of a recent food drive by Pierre Poilievre, MP for Nepean-Carleton.
“Social responsibility is an important aspect of our mission at Scotiabank and it is important for us to help wherever we can in the communities we serve,” said Darwin. “I am excited today to present a $5000 donation to the Barrhaven Food Cupboard, an important local support agency for people in Barrhaven.” Darwin explained that he was inspired by Mr. Poilievre, who recently collected 600 pounds of food for the Osgoode Food Bank at a local event.
“Scotiabank has demonstrated their dedication to communities in my riding and beyond. I was thrilled to hear of this recent contribution,” said Poilievre. “The Barrhaven Food Cupboard does so much good for this community and I know that this donation will go a long way to helping our friends and neighbours.”
“Many people in our community are not aware that even in a prosperous community such as Barrhaven, there are families among us who need help to put food on their table,” said Ken Lee, the Coordinator of Community Food Drives and a dispatcher of the Barrhaven Food Cupboard. “Scotiabank has supported the Barrhaven Food Cupboard in our regular food assistance as well as our Christmas hamper programs for many years. We are extremely grateful to them for this latest donation to help those who need it most in our community. To paraphrase the tag-line in Scotiabank’s advertisements: with involvement such as theirs, our community is indeed richer than we think!”
The Barrhaven Food Cupboard is a community organization made up entirely of volunteers. During the 2012 Christmas season, 130 hampers were given to local families, representing a twenty percent increase from the previous year. Located in the Barrhaven United Church on Jockvale Road, this in-demand organization is currently in the process of seeking their own space to meet the increasing needs of the Barrhaven Community. More information can be found at www.barrhavenfoodcupboard.com.
(L to R): MP Pierre Poilievre, David Sereda from the Barrhaven Food Cupboard, Mary Voteary from Scotiabank, Jeff Darwin from Scotiabank, Ken Ross from the Barrhaven Food Cupboard, Valerie Rochon from the Barrhaven Food Cupboard, Ken Lee from the Barrhaven Food Cupboard
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Additional facts:
• In 2012, the Barrhaven Food Cupboard provided food assistance to an average of 89 families each month (approximately 310 people). Even as recently as 2009, the organization was helping an average of less than 40 families a month.
• Over half of the clients are children under 18 years of age.
• About half of the families needing food assistance are single-parent families.
• Over the entire year in 2012, 241 families (about 850 persons) received food assistance.
• In 2012, client families were provided with an average of over 3,600 kilograms of non-perishable food each month. This compares with 2,600 kilograms per month in 2011; 2,000 kilograms in 2010; and 1,700 in 2009.
• Because there is no facility to handle perishables, the Food Cupboard also provides grocery store gift certificates so that clients can supplement the non-perishables with such things as fresh milk, bread and produce. In 2012, the Food Cupboard provided an average of almost $2,700 in gift certificates every month — $1,800/mo. in 2011; $1,000/mo, in 2010; $850/mo. in 2009. This part of the program is funded by cash donations.
• In addition to the “regular food assistance program”, the Christmas hamper program provided hampers to 130 families over 2012 Holiday Season – 104 in 2011, 74 in 2010, 73 in 2009.
• In general, not only has the number of families needing help increased significantly in recent years, families are requesting help more frequently during the year and remaining clients for longer periods of time.