Sudbury food drive gets helping hand

The Edgar Burton Food Drive in Greater Sudbury is getting assistance from the military. Dec 14/21 ( Alana Everson - CTV Northern Ontario )

Sudbury -

The Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive in Greater Sudbury received a huge financial boost and help from the military Dec. 14 to move all the food donations.

The drive has been going for 30 years now and even with the impacts of pandemic on so many not profits like the Sudbury Food Bank the goal this year is raising one more can than last year.

Vale and Wheaton Precious Metals made a $100,000 donation to assist this year’s effort.

“We have a long standing tradition of support for the Sudbury Food Bank,” said Danica Pagnutti, a corporate and indigenous affairs specialist with Vale.

 “In fact Edgar Burton was a formerly Vale-Inco employee and a United Steelworkers member. And together, Vale and the USW have kept Edgar’s tradition of generosity alive and we continue to support this really important community food drive.”

In addition to the funding, a local military unit is helping move all goods received at the food bank.

“There is a massive requirement not only for vehicles but man power to load and unload those resources across town and get it prepared so it can then be prepared and distributed accordingly,” said Sergeant Adam Marcil, of the Irish Regiment of Canada.

The Sudbury Food Bank said it desperately needs money and food donations with the demand greater than ever.

Right now it’s seeing over 11,000 visits a month.

“A lot of them are new folks. A lot of them are people that are working to a degree but non secure employment, and a lot of them are seniors which is not something we normally have, but they are in increasing numbers this time around,” said Dan Xilon, the executive director of the Sudbury Food Bank.

The Edgar Burton Food drive is the largest one per capita in Ontario. Last year it raised 110 tonnes of food.

 This year’s drive ends December 24th.