'Fill a Fire Truck' food drive in Timmins looks to support food bank, recruit foster families
The third annual "Fill a Fire Truck" food drive, in collaboration between the Timmins Fire Department and North Eastern Ontario Family and Children's Services (NEOFACS), sought help with a shortage of food donations by appealing to community generosity.
A friendly greeting, a barbecue and two fire trucks are what awaited people willing to donate— fire officials acknowledging that it's been a fiscally-tight time.
"With COVID, everything took a downfall with donations, so hopefully today we can get some more donations in and fill the food bank up," said firefighter Dan Knight.
NEOFACS' communications coordinator Melanie Watson said the agency is short on foster families as well, saying the event also aimed to inform the community about the need and hopefully recruit some families.
"Especially because we're trying to place children in culturally-appropriate families," Watson said.
She notes that the agency has been strictly adhering to public health measures, including in its foster homes, with the intention of making sure children are cared for in all respects.
Demand for food and foster homes is expected to grow as the new school year begins, Watson said, and so NEOFACS wants to make sure children and families have full bellies and safe homes.
"We're there to support families in whatever way they need."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.