Chatham-Kent's generosity came shining through once again to unofficially kick off the Christmas season when the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Holiday Train stopped in Chatham Friday afternoon.
Executive Director of the Chatham Outreach For Hunger Brenda LeClair told CK News Today approximately 1,700 pounds of food was collected on the truck, plus CP Rail once again donated $4,500 to the food bank.
LeClair said people attending the annual holiday event also donated $430 in cash and Tim Hortons made a donation of $250 on top of the hot chocolate donation.
The Holiday Train supports community food banks at each stop by raising money, food, and awareness for food insecurity issues.
Leclair noted the food bank needs protein, pasta, and canned fruits and vegetables.
She added Chatham Outreach for Hunger has seen a big increase in people using the food bank with the cost of living on the rise.
"More families are coming in than ever before, seniors, and certainly we have a great number of people who are living on the street," said Leclair. "We're definitely getting busier, things are not getting better as far as people who are needing support."
Since its inception in 1999, the Holiday Train campaign has raised more than $22.4 million and collected 5.15 million pounds of food to support those in need nationwide.
Outreach for Hunger has been serving the community in Chatham-Kent for 35 years with the generous support of volunteers and donors.
Last year more than 6,100 people in need were served.
For more information about Outreach for Hunger click here.
