The community is stepping up to help the Salvation Army Food Bank which is in desperate need of donations amid increased need due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking the lead was Hewitts Farm Market. They recently loaded their van with 750 pounds of fresh produce and delivered it to the Salvation Army to help community members in need.
For Hewitts, it was a way to give back to the community which has been supporting their business while they remain open to provide services through curbside and contactless pick-up.
“Without the community, we don’t have a business, so we try to help the community and hopefully, they continue to help us,” said co-owner Trevor Hewitt
Despite Hewitts' being financially impacted by the pandemic like most other local businesses, they didn’t think twice about making their donation.
“We’re still open which is more than a lot of places, so we were able to do something nice without breaking the bank,” Hewitt said.
Hewitt and his staff plan on continuing their generosity and are currently working on coming up with other options to help the local food banks in the near future.
Lynnette Trottier, Community and Family Services Ministries Officer for Orillia's Salvation Army, said the Hewitts' donation was vital.
“It provided us with fresh vegetables and produce which our clients don’t usually get. It’s usually more pantry items they get, so Hewitts' donation was fantastic,” Trottier said.
“They provided us with some frozen pies as well which gave them a treat which they usually don’t get. It was a big help.”
Trottier says more people than ever are needing the food bank, creating a dire need for community donations.
“We are getting a lot of first-time people calling in who haven’t used the food bank before because there are so many cases of unemployment and that’s only going to increase,” Trottier fears.
To make matters worse, once the pandemic broke out, it left the Salvation Army without access to ordering large quantities from local grocery stores.
Oro-Medonte Fire & Emergency Services have also stepped up to help by setting up a community food drive. They have placed a donation bin outside of Fire Station No.3 in Horseshoe Valley.
“That will definitely help stock our pantries and will be a huge help for us to make sure our shelves remain full,” Trottier said.
Donations will be accepted at the Line 4 fire station between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. until Friday, May 1.
“We are so appreciative of all the work the community does for the Salvation Army Food Bank and we can’t do it without the donations and the generous spirit of the community members,” Trottier said.
Community donations of food or cash can also be brought to the Salvation Amy location at 157 Coldwater Rd. in Orillia, Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
