When local realtors Lisa Harlock and Jack O'Donnell made a trip to the Cambridge Food Bank in December, they were thrilled to see the shelves stocked full of food ready to be delivered to those in need.
However, when they returned to shoot a video as part of their participation in the food bank's online spring 50/50 draw this year, they were surprised to see those once stocked shelves looking bare.
“When we returned I was like ‘where’s all the food?’” Harlock said.
“That moment we decided, very impulsively, that we were going to try to get 1,000 boxes of cereal.”
After setting the ambitious goal, they set out on accomplishing it throughout the month of April.
With the help from over 100 donors between Royal LePage Crown Realty, their clients, local businesses and people in the community, they've secured over 1,300 boxes of cereal with five days remaining in the month.
It was an easy initiative for people to get behind given the increase in the cost of food both locally and across the country, O’Donnell says.
“I think everybody in the community and the country is feeling the increased cost of food,” he said.
“It was something we got a clear response from. People understood the need and were happy to help. If you’re able to help out, there’s a lot of ways to do it.”
As realtors, both Harlock and O’Donnell know how difficult the current economic climate can be on residents in the city as they try to navigate everyday living.
“We see it all the time and talk to people all the time that are worried about the basics like housing and food, so we thought this was a good thing to do,” Harlock said.
“We feel it’s really important to give back to the community, and give back in a hands on way rather than just writing a cheque.”
Partnerships like the one between the food bank and Royal LePage are critical to sustaining the service in the community, says Cambridge Food Bank communications coordinator Jamie Berube.
“Food insecurity is on the rise,” Berube said.
“More and more businesses are reaching out to us to see how they can be a part of supporting us. I think it’s a genuine desire to do better.”
Berube points to the high number of youth who are now accessing the food bank as the reason why cereal flies off the shelf.
“About 32 per cent of visits at the food bank are by youth,” she said.
“Being able start the day with having breakfast is really important.”
No matter how big or small a donation may seem, they’re all appreciated and help offset costs for other types of food and services.
“It’s always humbling to see businesses want to give back to us,” Berube said.
“When they support a specific need we have, it then allows us to free up some of our funding to put towards different needs. When they come together to get 1,000 boxes of cereal, it then allows us to look at what else we're low on. When they fill one gap, we can fill other gaps more effectively.”
