Thanks to local farmers and community members, thousands of dollars’ worth of locally produced goods have been collected to support those facing food insecurity in Chatham-Kent.
The Kent Federation of Agriculture (KFA) held its annual food drive during Canada’s Agriculture Day at The Salvation Army Church in Chatham on Tuesday, raising over $10,000 worth of food and cash donations.
All of the donations will be split between Chatham Outreach for Hunger and The Salvation Army.
Brad Snobelen, president of the KFA, said it’s important to give back to those in need each and every year.
“The food banks are always looking for donations and because we’re such an ag. driven community, we have lots to give,” he said.
Major Larry Bridger, the director of The Salvation Army Chatham-Kent, said food bank usage has also increased tremendously within Chatham-Kent.
“With the economy still the way it is and still recovering from COVID technically, our needs have been up substantially. I know around Christmastime time we were up around 30 per cent in demand for food and that unfortunately has been the trend the last few years,” said Bridger. “We try to help people as much as we can, but demands keep increasing.”
The annual food drive provides CK’s food producers with an opportunity to share their products and help consumers draw a closer connection to where their food comes from and the people who produce it.
“We get a lot of canned non-perishable items, but it’s great to have fresh produce,” said Bridger. “We won’t have trouble distributing it because of the number of clients we have.”
Chatham-Kent is home to a $4 billion agriculture and agri-food industry, responsible for more than 16,000 jobs.
