When school lets out, demand at the food bank goes up — no school breakfast programs, no cafeteria lunches, and grocery bills that stretch a little further every year. This summer, our volunteers met that demand head-on.
Between June 1 and August 28, Harbourlight packed and distributed 412 grocery hampers — the most in any summer since we opened our doors in 1987. That's roughly 31 hampers every week, each one with fresh produce, dairy, and pantry staples for a local household.
How the town showed up
- Local farms donated over 2,300 lbs of fresh produce — sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and enough cucumbers that the intake team stopped counting;
- The Harbourton Farmers' Market ran a "grow a row" campaign that brought in weekly crates all season;
- Twelve new volunteers joined the packing and delivery teams after June's orientation night;
- Neighbourhood food drives — including one organized entirely by a Grade 7 class — kept the dry-goods shelves stocked through the July rush.
What we still need
A record summer also means the shelves are heading into fall lighter than usual. Our current urgent needs are posted on the wish list — peanut-free snacks, size 4–6 diapers, and canned protein top the list, and we're always looking for volunteer drivers for Thursday deliveries.
If you can help, drop donations at 22 Pier Street during office hours, or call the office at 613-555-0148 to arrange a pickup.
To every grower, driver, packer, and donor who made this summer possible: thank you. This is what neighbours helping neighbours looks like.