MANITOULIN—Thanks to the generosity of Manitoulin Island residents well over 1,000 Christmas hampers were distributed to those in need of a helping hand locally, through the Manitoulin Family Resources (MFR) Food Bank.
While information on the final number of food hampers distributed was not readily available to The Expositor as of December 22, MFR had expected and prepared for 1,200.
Marnie Hall, executive director of MFR told The Expositor last Wednesday, “to be fair, there are others out there, but we have distributed 1,043 Christmas hampers so far, and additional people are picking up and calling in for them tomorrow (December 22).” She pointed out when referring to the number of food hampers prepared, “that is over 1,043 households that are receiving the hampers. When you took at the number of people that are being assisted, it would be in the thousands.”
“When we set up staple (food items) we pre-order, and then food comes in from the public for the food baskets,” said Ms. Hall. “The need for assistance will continue and grow in the new year. We will be shutting down the food bank at the end of the week (December 23), but we will be open again on January 3. We will be there as much as is needed.”
