Kawartha Food Share benefits from Scouts, school drives
Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - Roderick Benns
Scout troops in the city and county collaborated on a food challenge, collecting a massive amount of non-perishable goods during February and March. As well, many Peterborough schools launched food drives, resulting in a significant windfall for the local food bank.

In all, more than 5,800 food items were collected, with additional food gathered in the outlying areas of Peterborough going directly to member agency food banks in the villages of Havelock and Norwood. The scouts collected 2,200 food items, while participating high schools gathered 3,600 items.

It was a great contribution, according to Anita Locke, administrative assistant for Kawartha Food Share.

"In the fall, we also have (The Church of Jesus Christ) Latter Day Saints do a north-end food drive that generally nets (about 8,000 items)," she says.

The local schools that participated were Peterborough Collegiate, Adam Scott Collegiate, Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, Crestwood Secondary School, Kenner Collegiate and Lakefield District Secondary School. The schools participated by organizing the Rick Essex Memorial Food Drive in honour of the former PCVS principal who died suddenly of a heart attack earlier this year.

Kawartha Food Share is a broad-based community effort, relying on volunteers and active working groups that include food banks, food donors, the faith community, elected officials, health and social service organizations, educators, food bank users, business, interested citizens and others. More than 25,000 food items per month are handed out, on average, through Kawartha Food Share.

Established in 1998 as a result of two local reports on hunger, its responsibilities are to operate a central warehouse, collect food from corporate donations, develop and co-ordinate major fundraising initiatives, liase with member agencies involved and promote community awareness.

Kawartha Food Share distributes donated food through its member agencies, reaching more than 4,000 individuals monthly in the city and county. Kawartha Food Share also distributes donated food to local breakfast clubs, which helps more than 1,600 students daily.

According to statistics provided by Kawartha Food Share, food bank use has doubled in Canada since 1989. Local studies found that 57 per cent of low-income residents can't afford to eat nutritiously, representing about 12,642 people in the city and county.

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