Chairs Report for 2019
2019 was a year of many changes and challenges, for the Stittsville Food Bank. Our client base is still growing and with that comes more food needed, more volunteers needed as we increased to serving 498 more people. We grew and learned from one another on how to make the food bank more efficient for volunteers and clients. Groceries are dated by month and year in order to reduce waste. This is a lot of work and keeps volunteers busy. Stocking, sorting and date checks is one of the ongoing jobs. Cleaning, organizing, picking up food and speaking at the schools and churches are some of the jobs the volunteers help with. Keeping our cash donations banked and paying out suppliers and working with the accountant is a big job for our treasurer. This year the Stittsville Food Bank became incorporated and will work to keep the food bank donors looked after with their tax receipts. We are a Registered Charity as well as being incorporated.
Stittsville food bank has well over 100 volunteers in a year. There are teams serving clients on a weekly basis, also volunteers picking up food at all the bins around Stittsville. We have a Youth Volunteer day every second Saturday as well as an Adult Volunteer Day on Monday afternoon. We have a large group of volunteers during the Christmas season. The volunteers are the back bone of the Stittsville Food Bank and they consist of people from the age of 12 to 85 years old. Our volunteers are committed, intelligent, and strong individuals. I am so proud to be the Chair of the Stittsville Food Bank. The Stittsville Food Bank is run solely by volunteers and they are instrumental to the existence of the food bank.
May 2019 we held our annual Volunteer and Donor Appreciation Evening. The evening was a great success in recognizing volunteers, individual donors, businesses, schools, churches, service clubs and our fire services for all their help. We recognized the youth as well as the adults.
We have had many visitors to the food bank in 2019 to the food bank every year with food hockey teams, brownies, school children and more. The Scouts, Cubs, Beavers Guides and Brownies have been a life saver with their spring and fall food drives. For every person that sent in a donation or brought food for a grocery bin around town, your church, your school, your place of business, Thank you! To the individuals who helped provide hampers, and the volunteers who delivered Thank-You!
Thank you for wanting to learn about the Stittsville Food Bank and for helping.
Our holiday hampers for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas were filled with many extras this year thanks to the tremendous support of our community.
The Stittsville Food bank believes clients should be treated with respect and dignity, giving those hopes for a better future. Healthy food is essential in all our lives therefore providing milk, eggs, cheese, meat, fresh vegetables and fruit to our clients is extremely important to us.
Healthy food = Healthy minds. Everyone needs help at some point in their lives, so it never hurts to ask if you need assistance. We are here to give people a helping hand up and hope someday they are able to help someone else.
The Stittsville Food Bank helps WABNO. Wabno Centre is an Urban Health Centre to help indigenous people. Homeless Youth, eleven Group Homes and has a one of kind food cupboard in one of our high schools for students in need.
The Stittsville Food bank does not receive any type of funding assistance, but instead relies 100% on donations from the public. 2019 donations of food and cash ensured the continuation of support to all families in need.
Thank you and may your lives be healthy and happy!
Theresa Qadri
Chair Stittsville Food Bank
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