The Cambridge Food Bank invites everyone to make their bid for the Healthy Harvest Online Auction until Sept. 16 to help support the Mobile Food Market.
“We wanted to come up with a new idea that would not only help us generate revenue but that would also promote some great local businesses that have had a tough time during COVID-19 and that have been wonderful supporters of the Cambridge Food Bank,” said Dianne McLeod, executive director at the Cambridge Food Bank.
“As part of our auction, you can receive some great gifts to local businesses. These are wonderful gift packages. Some are filled with date nights like dinner and a movie night, or a hotel stay, so there’s lots of things included for people to do. This is a great way to help a good cause as well as maybe do some Christmas shopping that can also keep your dollars local.”
The rising cost of living continues to contribute to people's reliance on food banks. And a major indicator of economic unrest is the increase in new clients at the Cambridge Food Bank.
“We have seen an incredible need in our community. We have served almost the same number of people already this year that we served throughout the entire year last year,” McLeod said.
And this is all before December, which McLeod says, is typically the food bank’s busiest month.
“Last year we saw 565 new families that have never visited the food bank before. This year, we are already up to 1700,” she said.
McLeod says the need has increased exponentially and for so many families, money isn’t going as far these days, and so they are not able to donate as they used to.
The goal for the Healthy Harvest Online Auction is to raise $26,000 for the purchase of fresh food for the Mobile Food Market, a market on wheels that offers access to fresh food at an affordable cost for households in Cambridge and North Dumfries.
Everyone is welcome to shop at the market. There is no pre-registration. The market is open to anyone who would benefit from getting more access to fresh, healthy food at a cost they can afford.
Each week a selection of food is available for a flat rate of $5 at various locations locally, and features a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and a small selection of dried goods such as rice, beans, and some non perishable items.
To support the Mobile Food Market, the Healthy Harvest Auction invites everyone over the age of 18 to make their bid online until Sept 16 at 10 a.m.
One of the biggest challenges food banks continue to face is an inconsistent flow of donations during the summer months. And with inflationary food costs, the Cambridge Food Bank is also experiencing a significant decrease in donation bins in grocery stores.
“Grocery bins are not filling up, but if people can’t afford to donate a couple jars of peanut butter, a couple cans of soup can go along way too,” McLeod said.
For those wanting to make a food donation to the Cambridge Food Bank, most needed items include, fresh produce, canned fruit, cereal, sandwich spreads, school snacks and canned fish and meat.
The Cambridge Food Bank also continues to accept financial donations.
McLeod said that the rising cost of living continues to contribute to people's reliance on food banks.
“People are saying that rent is taking up the majority of their income and lots of families are saying that they barely have enough gas in their cars to get back and forth to work. We have lots of moms with kids. If their kids are sent home with a sniffle, this impacts income and their bills are affected. They lose income but the bills stay the same,” McLeod said.
“We want them to know that what they can do is come here, if they need an extra hand.”
For more information and to make a bid for the Healthy Harvest Auction, visit here.
