Story Submitted by: Ian Kennedy of the Chatham-Kent Sports Network (CKSN)
Last week, the Wallaceburg Salvation Army announced they are in desperate need of food supplies for their Wallaceburg food bank. In an answer to this call, the local organizers of the Kraft Celebration Tour stop in Wallaceburg have stepped up to the plate and are kicking off a food drive.
According to local Salvation Army Officer, Captain Stephanie Watkinson, the support surrounding the Kraft Celebration Tour from local organizers is coming just in time.
“There are many people in the community of Wallaceburg that are requiring the services of the local food bank every month,” said Watkinson. “Donations help us in providing them with some groceries each month in order to survive. Our shelves are getting very bare and there does not seem to be a break in the need. Bringing this information to the public through the Kraft Celebration Tour will highlight the need in the community. ”
The need according to Captain Watkinson, is still increasing in Wallaceburg and area, “Food bank usage is up throughout Chatham-Kent and more new families are using our services. Wallaceburg is one of our food banks that we have noticed this increase. We rely on donations of non-perishable food items in order to meet this demand and use our limited funds to fill in the gaps. Over the last several months we have had to purchase more groceries than we have over the last three years.”
In particular, the Wallaceburg Salvation Army Food Bank has no lunch supplies for kids as they go back to school this September. Organizers are aiming to collect these supplies, and other non-perishable food items at the Kraft Celebration Tour stop in Wallaceburg.
More so, organizers are hoping local residents will purchase and donate Kraft products for the event to support the local food bank. Many of Kraft’s products directly meet the needs of the Wallaceburg Salvation Army including peanut butter, crackers, cookies, jam, and numerous other products.
As Captain Watkinson explained, Kraft has always been a huge supporter of local food banks and plays a key role in the ongoing support the Wallaceburg Salvation Army is able to provide to the community.
The Kraft Celebration Tour takes place in Wallaceburg at Crothers Conservation Area between 4pm and 7pm on August 20. Visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable Kraft food items to the park to be dropped in Salvation Army donation bins as they park and enter Crothers Conservation Area.
Prior to the event, donations can be dropped off at CKXS FM or directly to the Wallaceburg Salvation Army at 600 Lowe Avenue in Wallaceburg.
