After two years, New Sudbury food bank reopens
Almost two years ago, Inner City Home had to close its New Sudbury food bank location due to COVID-19.
“When COVID came into existence, a lot of our volunteers were older people and they were very nervous and concerned about being in an atmosphere that might get them to have COVID,” said Joe Drago, Inner City Home president.
"So a lot of them just drifted away from us for the time being and I’m hoping that when COVID is eventually over that they will come back."
Before the pandemic began, the organization had 100 volunteers; there are now about 40. Despite the shortage of volunteers, the New Sudbury location now will be open Tuesday from 10 a.m. until noon, when it was previously open twice a week.
Executive director Jennifer Grooms said while the location was closed, families in New Sudbury had their food delivered. The need has grown so much that the location had to reopen. Grooms said in 2020, the organization provided food to 900 households every month, but now that number has grown to 1,400.
Inner City Home is the largest emergency food provider in the city, supplying food to people from Alban to Falconbridge. Having the location reopen means those in need won’t have to go as far to access services.
“A lot of them come here and they have a grocery cart to haul these things to the bus stop," said volunteer Homer Carr.
"It’s really sad, but when you know when you're hungry, I guess you manage, so a lot of them don’t have transportation.”
The New Sudbury location services a lot of big families, providing around $100 worth of groceries every week. Grooms said it was difficult for many clients to make the trip downtown every week, so the doors had to be reopened.
A recent food drive put on by St. Andrew the Apostle Church stocked the location with food. With winter on the way, Drago said the need will increase and there are many things people in the community can do to help.
“Cash is really good for us because the arrangement we have -- for every dollar, we can buy $3 of food," he said.
"So it’s important that we have a lot of cash donations because then we can fill the shelves here a lot more than people just giving us cans -- which we want for sure. I’m not turning them off, but if we can get a lot of cash we can buy a lot more to help those that are in need”
To learn more about Inner City Home, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.