Local food bank needs $75,000 to avoid cutting services

An Ottawa food bank's call for help The Caldwell Family Centre is asking for donations as the community's need keeps rising. CTV's Shaun Vardon reports.

For almost four decades, the Caldwell Family Centre has served the community by providing support to residents of Ottawa impacted by poverty.

The centre operates two food banks, offers drop-in programming for youth, employment training and health and nutrition programs. After a successful move to a new temporary location at the Cityview United Church, the centre is now facing a financial crunch as demand for services keeps growing.

Susan Hopkinson, the acting executive director, says demand has doubled in the past two years, and now with COVID era funding programs coming to an end, the center needs $75,000 to keep all of their programs running until the end of September.

"There was funding available for agencies like ours, funding for a lot of different groups but that funding has dried up," Hopkinson said. "People in the government at different levels and what not seem to feel that that funding is no longer needed, but if COVID ended the need did not."

The centre is accepting donations on its website with the hope that the public can step to fill the gap in funding until they can find a long-term solution to the shortfall.

"If we are unable to continue to give the services at the level that we need, other agencies and groups trying to assist families may also be impacted," Hopkinson said, "Because everyone is struggling to the max to help everyone they can."