Vaughan food bank issues plea for donations

Yorkregion.com
April 9, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

The Vaughan Food Bank is issuing an urgent plea for donations.

“This has been about the worst year we’ve ever had,” Peter Wixson, executive director at the food bank, said. “Normally, we get enough for Christmas to carry us right through. But this past Christmas we were down over 58 per cent.”

Food bank volunteers have been delivering donation barrels to local schools this week in hopes of collecting much-needed items, he said.

“We need everything,” Mr. Wixson said. “We’re down to the point where we’ve got food, but we’ve got very little variety of food and the shelves are just going down. We’ve cut off all the agencies in York Region that we support and that’s something we’ve never had to do (this early in the year).”

Fortinos in Maple, 9000 Major Mackenzie Dr., is helping out by hosting a food drive this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Vaughan fire fighters will be inside the store bagging food items at the check out counters and outside with a fire truck. Local radio station 105.9 The Region will be doing an onsite broadcast with radio personality Mike Atom.

SIDEBAR

If you want to help out, you can drop off items - such as canned food, cereal, cookies, crackers, pasta and toiletries - at any Vaughan fire hall or one of the following locations:
- Fortinos - 2911 Major Mackenzie Dr.
- Fortinos - 8565 Hwy. 27
- Fortinos - 3940 Hwy. 7
- Longos - 5283 Rutherford Rd.
- Longos - 8401 Weston Rd.
- Longos - 9306 Bathrust St.
- Derek’s No Frills - 1631 Rutherford Rd.
- Durante’s No Frills - 1054 Centre St.
- Yummy Market - 1390 Major Mackenzie Dr.

Visit vaughanfoodbank.ca to make a monetary donation or learn more.