The Central Food Network’s says its new cargo van has been a “game-changer” for local food distribution.
The food network operates several programs in the Cardiff, Wilberforce and Haliburton area to keep people warm and fed, as well as donating surplus to surrounding areas, such as Bancroft.
This winter surplus food from the network was picked up by local volunteers and used to make meals for the unhoused here on weekends.
The food network van has now made more than forty deliveries to other food banks.
CFN executive director Tina Jackson spoke about the importance of their new van:
“Our food bank manager who was a long time volunteer and founder of the Wilberforce foodbank, had started to build relationships, and realized if we had a way to move food, it was an avenue to access food we couldn’t afford to purchase”
Since they got the van seven months ago, the CFN has already transported more than a hundred-thousand pounds of food, worth more than three-hundred-and-seventy-thousand dollars.
The CFN offer s several programs both in Highlands East and beyond. These aim to relieve poverty by providing food, heating supplies and other basic necessities to people in need. They operate two food banks (Wilberforce & Cardiff), a food distribution hub (Highlands East Food Hub), a community cooking program (Community Cooks) and Heat Bank Haliburton County that helps people that are struggling with heat and hydro.
With files from Martin Halek