The 'amazing' generosity of the community is being celebrated once again this Christmas season.
On Dec. 15, 2022, Mayor Lynn Dollin, community members, and local dignitaries gathered at the Innisfil Community Church for a cheque presentation to the Innisfil Food Bank.
“This is the eighth year the Town of Innisfil has held the Scrooge the Ticket campaign in support of the Innisfil Food Bank, an outreach program of the Innisfil Community Church,” said Dollin.
“Those receiving a parking fine had the option of donating a new, unwrapped toy, items for the food bank or a monetary donation, and this year, we are thrilled to say we are presenting the food bank with a cheque for $4,985, in addition to toys and food items. This is just another way we can all pull together, especially during the holiday season, to support those in our community who need our support," said the mayor.
“It’s nice to always give back, it’s the better part of the job to do something positive with enforcement, so, it’s nice for us too,” Community Standards Officer, Kyle Jones said.
The campaign ran from Nov. 14 to 28 and as Community Standards Officer, Kyle Mcguire explained, the parking tickets are largely issued to people who park on the streets overnight; parking is prohibited on streets after midnight after Nov. 1 to allow for easier snow removal.
“Thanks to initiatives like this, our food bank is getting stocked up and that food will see us through the month of January and into February,” said Donna VanBodegom, Food Bank Coordinator of the Innisfil Food Bank.
VanBodegom shared that the food bank was at about 20% capacity at the beginning of December; by month’s end, it will be full thanks to the Scrooge the Ticket campaign and the generosity of the community.
The donated food is sorted into boxes for people in need. Once full, each box weighs between 50-70 pounds.
“Everything in our boxes are non-perishables. We try and fill it with as much protein as we can. So, you’re going to find beans in sauce, you’re going to find kidney beans, you’re going to find green beans and vegetables… We want to get as much nutrition out there as we can,” explained VanBodegom.
VanBodegom expects to have to purchase more expensive products — like peanut butter, jam, pancake mix, syrup, canned tomatoes, pasta sauce, and cans of soup — between January and March of 2023.
“We will run out of canned vegetables long before we run out of pasta noodles," she explained.
“When we do need to purchase food, we do keep our money local because our donations come from local Innisfil residents, so we want to keep it in Innisfil, so we will purchase from either Stroud Foodland, No Frills, or Sobeys in Alcona here to keep the money in the area that it was donated,” she said.
“Our town is so generous… We are so thankful and our town — people that live in Innisfil — are so generous, and we are so grateful because, without them, it would be much, much harder to get food into hungry tummies.”
In the first 20 days of December, 108 people (including 18 new families) required assistance from the Innisfil food bank.
Food donations are always accepted at the Innisfil Community Church and local grocery stores, such as the Foodland Stroud, John’s No Frills and Sobeys in Alcona. Monetary donations can be made in person at the church or via their website.
Betty Attar coordinated the distribution of toy donations for the Scrooge the Ticket campaign, and she coordinates the operation of the clothing depot with her team of fellow volunteers year-round.
“The Innisfil Community Church is the heart of the town,” said Attar, who has been volunteering for the outreach programs at the Innisfil Community Church for four years. She explained that 75 hampers were given to 75 families on Dec. 14-15. With an average of three children per family, more than 200 toys were given to children in need this holiday season.
“We only cater to locals. You have to live in Innisfil to qualify — that’s all we require — and the donations all come from local, and it’s incredible. This community is amazing. Absolutely amazing,” Attar said.
The Clothing Depot will begin accepting clothing donations on Jan. 3, 2023, when the chute at the Innisfil Community Church will reopen and remain so 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
People in need must register in advance to attend a “shopping night,” during which they are invited to visit and gather the clothing they require free of charge. The last shopping night on Dec. 1, 2022, welcomed 63 people, and 112 garbage bags full of clothes, jackets, and boots went with them.
Attar explained that there are two shopping nights per month, and they are always booked to capacity.
If you’d like to donate gently used and new clothing to the Clothing Depot beginning Jan. 3, 2023, kindly donate items that are in season because there is a lack of storage space.
“Hang on to it, and we’ll gladly take it during the season,” Attar said with a smile.
The Clothing Depot accepts items needed to dress any person of any age from head to toe, including (but not limited to): coats, jackets, hats, socks, sweaters, gloves, jeans, boots, and shoes. Bedding and towels are also appreciated.
Attar assured InnisfilToday that the generosity of the community knows no bounds.
“There was one time where I put a shout-out; we needed blankets and comforters. Within a day, my shelves were packed.”
“I have an incredible team of volunteers. I could not do what I do without them,” VanBodegom said.
“We have so many volunteers right now, which is so beautiful, and we have so many people offering, and again, it’s because of the generosity of Innisfilians… There’s a form online where they can sign up to be a volunteer as well, and we keep that information on file until we need it,” she explained.
Visit their website for more information, or contact the Innisfil Food Bank or the Clothing Depot at the Innisfil Community Church via email: [email protected] or [email protected].
