There were plenty of donations and money donated but the need is still there.
Around $1,100 and approximately 700 pounds of food were raised at last weekend’s local grocery store food drive.
Both the Coe Hill food bank and North Hastings Community Cupboard were on site at Foodland and No-Frills last Saturday, collecting donations and sharing information.
North Hastings Community Cupboard executive director Monica Lumley-Piercey said demand is high and there are a lot of items needed.
Instant coffee, Kraft Dinner, small jars of peanut butter, soda crackers, canned fruits and vegetables and cereal, are all on the list of staples.
Lumley-Piercey also shared some items that are always much appreciated, but not always thought of when donating.
“With the warmer temperatures coming up, people are often looking for things like ketchup, mustard, relish and mayo. Those are items that you don’t normally think about with a food bank, but they can make the world of difference to somebody’s meal.”
Lumley-Piercey added that the community cupboard is now open on Mondays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to serve prepared meals.
Hours for both food bank services and the cupboard cafe (meal program) are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Thursday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m.
“Adding a fifth day open for meals is addressing a gap in service in the community where we noted meals are not available on Mondays.”
On Easter Monday, the cupboard is open from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. (instead of lunch time) in order to prepare and serve a full ham dinner, take-out style.
To find out more, or to donate, you can stop by the cupboard or check them out online here.
