Please Help the Summerside Food Bank

Stocking up Food bank is in need but help is gearing up
JIM BROWN The Journal Pioneer
SUMMERSIDE — Marj Montgomery says the ranks of the hungry continue to grow every day, with more new faces seen all the time at the Salvation Army food bank and soup kitchen.It’s sad, it’s disturbing and there’s little sign of an end in sight, says Montgomery, community and family services co-ordinator for the Salvation Army in Summerside.She was happy to have the shelves filled after a Canada Post workers food drive, but she worries they will be empty by Christmas.It’s truly heart-breaking to see so many families surviving on very little.“We’re seeing a lot of working poor, families living on minimum wage. It’s impossible,” she said.It often comes down to stark choices for impoverished families: food or rent, food or heating oil, even food or medicine. The number of people visiting the soup kitchen has soared.“Last month it was 1,325. It’s phenomenal and it’s going to get worse,” said Montgomery, who is also president of the P.E.I. Food Bank Association.She’s pinning her hopes on the legendary generosity of Islanders and Farm Credit Canada, which is organizing a major campaign on the Island to raise 25,000 pounds of non-perishable foodstuffs, Oct. 16-17.Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger Campaign features two large tractors hauling trailers. Each travels from opposite ends of P.E.I.The campaign kicks off early Tuesday morning, with tractors leaving from the Tignish Co-op at 8:45 a.m. and the Souris Co-op, also at 8:45 a.m.Two provinces a year are selected to participate in the food drive and this year is P.E.I.’s turn, along with Quebec, according to Summerside organizer Patrick Doohan.Foodstuffs collected during the Oct. 16-17 hunger tour will be turned over to the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry, to be distributed to food banks throughout the Island, including the Summerside Salvation Army which serves all of Prince County.“It’s been really good. We’ve collected 500,000 pounds to date,” said Doohan. He added latest figures show that of the 3,200 people who visit food banks every month in P.E.I., 1,170 are children.Cash donations are also accepted and Montgomery says the money will be put to good use, purchasing vegetables, meat and other perishables.