MINDEMOYA—Incredible. That is the only way to describe the support and generosity that Manitoulin Island residents have shown again this year in the annual Manitoulin Family Resources (MFR) Food Bank Christmas Food Basket campaign.
“Everyone is just so incredible in how they support the cause and the Christmas Food Basket campaign,” said Marnie Hall, executive director of MFR last Friday. “We currently have 844 referrals for the Christmas food baskets and we will continue to take them up right until the end of (this) week.”
“By Monday, December 16 all the food, toys and other items that are coming from across the Island will be on site,” said Ms. Hall. She explained, “and on Monday morning we will be taking the incredible amount of food and other items to the church to get ready for packing the baskets.”
She pointed out that “the UCCM Police held a Stuff-the-Cruiser event and they will be bringing all the items to the church in a large trailer. You know about everything the Manitoulin Panthers Pee Wee hockey team is doing to support the campaign and there are many, many other groups and individuals who contribute as well.” (The Manitoulin Panthers have been packing and carrying groceries to raise money and food items for the food basket campaign.)
“The groceries that we receive from Dean’s Valu-Mart will be on site and Island Foodland is another unbelievable store that is helping us,” said Ms. Hall. “On Monday all the items will be at the church and they will be sorted into food items, toys etc, for the Christmas basket packing.”
From there the food and other items will be sorted and packed from Monday to Friday, with the first baskets to go out on Tuesday, she said.
Ms. Hall noted as well, “our volunteers are so fantastic. We are so fortunate we have so much volunteer help with the sorting and packing of the baskets. Some of our volunteers have helped out for a long time, they know exactly how things are supposed to be done; and the (Mindemoya Missionary) church is so phenomenal to allow us to do all of this there.”
