If Not For You
To all those volunteers, whether you’re down at the warehouse, out in the community, or at home, I just want to express a personal thank you for all the support during this time like no other.
When Covid-19 realities struck our community a few weeks ago, the board had some important decisions to make. First and foremost was how to keep functioning during a time of social distancing. We leaned heavily on the Middlesex-London Health Unit for guidance and their contribution continues with us till this day. The London Food Bank had been classified as an “essential” service, which meant our community was counting on us to balance security and compassion in ways that keep us functioning in order to feed our most vulnerable. As the health unit reminded us at the time, plans in such a setting can’t be perfect, but as long as we all did our best to respect the guidelines, we would limit the potential for the spread of the virus. All of you – even those remaining at home for the protection of others – have done a remarkable job at doing the best you can and you need to know that we appreciate it.
The board of directors understood that without our volunteers we wouldn’t be able to function, and to ensure that we supported those efforts, the food bank went through a deep clean and disinfecting a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to protect you the best we could and we thank the business BioSweep for spending a weekend on the deep clean at no cost to the food bank. It turns out that they, too, were thinking of you.
As well as continuing our regular operations in feeding agencies, individuals, and families, the food bank has now taken on the task of working with the RBC Convention Centre, the City of London, Cargill and Youth Opportunities Unlimited to feed the growing amount of homeless individuals in our city. It has proved to be a major undertaking for us that falls into three categories: 1) feeding bagged lunches to the homeless; 2) working with indigenous communities like the Oneida reserve and Atlhosa emergency shelters to ensure they have a diversity of food supplies; and 3) to ramp up our support of the four resources centres spread throughout London. The plan is to carry this on for a 3-month period, to be assessed at that point. It will cost something in the neighbourhood of $200,000 – with the food bank paying for the entire cost, freeing up the agencies to get on with their essential work.
The support for the London Food Bank in this last month has been unlike anything in our history. The community understands what we have undertaken and they are seeking to help us on the front lines. The donations have been remarkable.
But it would be all but impossible if not for you. Every day, you have considered the best interests of the food bank and needy Londoners and I just can’t thank you enough. You are at the heart of our operation and as long as that heart keeps beating we’ll be good.
What’s next? I’m reminded of something author Anthony Doerr wrote: “Maybe a person can experience an illness as a kind of health. Maybe not every disease is a deficit, a taking away. Maybe what’s happening is an opening, a window, a migration.”
I fully believe that’s what happening right now – we are moving through a difficult time as a means of getting to a better, more useful place, for our community. You are helping us to do that and whatever the food bank will be in the future will even be better than what we have at present. Thank you for all of it, for what you do, what you give, how you care, and how you endure. You are the essence of the London Food Bank itself – even in a time of Covid.
Glen Pearson
Co-Director