"Families who have never needed help before are now turning to our services," said the Executive Director of the Salvation Army Windsor Centre of Hope while announcing the results of a recent food drive in the region.
"We're anticipating more families this year than last, a trend we're seeing not just here in Windsor but across the province," said Jason Linton. "Nearly 30 per cent of those we serve are children and teens aged 18 and younger, and on average, we assist more than 600 families per month."
The city-wide food drive on October 12 collected 4,500 lbs of food, more than twice the total last year, and $8,000 in monetary donations. The Salvation Army partnered with Windsor Police, LaSalle Police, Tailgate Takeout, Windsor Loblaws, Metro, and No Frills.
It's welcome, especially now that the Salvation Army's food bank in Windsor is seeing a drop in donations. The organization hoped to restock the food bank and prepare for growing community demand.
"When we see less food on our shelves day to day, that's a bleak reminder of the reality so many people are facing," said Linton. "It's important for our community to know that the Salvation Army is here for them through transformative programming and that no one should hesitate to reach out when they need help."
The first World Homeless Day Food Drive collected over 2,000 lbs of food and $3,000.
