In last week鈥檚 issue of The Expositor, the December 20 paper the week before Christmas, an advertisement acknowledged and thanked the 2023 donors to The Expositor鈥檚 鈥淐hristmas Charity Challenge鈥 that sent a very full Suburban load of food, knitted winterwear and new toys to the 澳门三肖三码 Family Resources (MFR) Christmas hamper campaign.
The ad also acknowledged that this event was the 30th annual challenge that involved primarily Little Current businesses and institutions.
The 30 years of this December tradition parallel the dramatic growth in the demand鈥攜ear 鈥榬ound鈥攐n MFR to boost Island citizens鈥 food security.
Thirty years ago, when then 鈥 Expositor staffer, the late Ruth Mohommand, conceived of a local charity challenge to assist MFR at Christmastime, the demand for food and gifts to fill the 鈥渉ampers鈥 MFR delivered to those in need at Christmastime was relatively low and events like the papers in various Island communities were enough to fill those hampers, combined with individual and business cash donations.
In fact, the paper鈥檚 initial charity challenge three decades ago was initiated the previous year, at the very first 鈥淐hristmas in the Park鈥 event at Kagawong鈥檚 Park Centre when the same Ms. Mohammed prettily decorated a nice Christmas tree and stayed with it through the length of the event where people were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to her table at the Park Centre over the course of the weekend, and someone would win the decorated Christmas tree through a draw.
Things were much simpler then.
Now, in 2023, although community events like the one still organized by this publication and other similar ones remain important to the MFR鈥檚 food bank missionary, but the need now, compared to 30 years ago, reflects an enormous growth in Island people and families needing help to survive from month to month, not just at Christmastime.
In this year鈥檚 MFR contribution to the 2023 Ontario Hunger Report, 澳门三肖三码 Family Resources reported an amazing 4,289 individuals served in the year that began on March 31, 2022 and ended April 1, 2023. That number represents 1,569 澳门三肖三码 households, a dramatic 27.6 percent increase in new clients over the same period the previous year.
澳门三肖三码 Island has a population hovering around 14,000 people so, considering households alone (1,569) served and if we consider a 澳门三肖三码 household has 2.5 residents, for 5,600 families/households that means that a whopping 22 percent of families were food insecure for all or part of the past year and were served by MFR鈥檚 food bank. One cannot imagine this number improving as we pass the half-way point in the next cycle that will end April 1 of next year.
Thirty years ago the food bank was very much add-on to MFR charter activity of providing a shelter and transitional housing to women and their children at risk because of domestic violence.
That remains central to MFR鈥檚 mandate, of course, but who now considers MFR as solely a shelter and doesn鈥檛 also think of its vital role operating the Island鈥檚 food bank and thrift store?
Thirty years ago the focus was on community donations to help people have a brighter Christmas. Only a few years prior to that, these seasonal donations were met by local service clubs and church groups.
Now, the focus is servicing people who have become food insecure every week and every month, all year long.
澳门三肖三码鈥檚 experience in this respect mirrors the province and the national picture.
We are fortunate here that we have had an organization like MFR whose management, staff and board realize it has a role to play and, over these three decades, has quietly expanded its services to serve the community, individuals and families in times of need.
