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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 29, 2006 - 15 Foodbank's Thanksgiving food drive starts Saturday By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF While Fareshare Foodbank's Thanksgiving Food Drive (Sept. 30-Oct. 15) is essentially about filling stomachs, the spin-off benefits of meeting this vital need may be ones the public has not even considered. For example, says Halton Region's Health Department, the lack of a nutritious diet can result in everything from poor birth outcomes and chronic diseases to reduced learning and productivity. Trouble is, low-income families ­ including those making minimum wage ­ find it very hard to cover their basic monthly expenses, including food. According to the Nutritious Food Basket Survey, mandated by the Province and conducted by the health department, "each year the results show that low-income households struggle to pay rent and bills, and to buy sufficient nutritious food for their family." "While the provincial and federal governments make adjustments to minimum wage and various benefits and credits, lowincome families still do not have enough income to meet their financial responsibilities," stated the health department report The Price of Eating Well in Halton 2005. "In reality, people usually choose to pay their rent and other fixed expenses e.g., heat, hydro and transportation," the report continues. "Food becomes a `discretionary' expense, resulting in a diet of poor nutritional value." Backing this up is the Daily Bread Food Bank's survey of Fareshare clients contained in its Who's Hungry ­ 2006 Profile of Hunger in the GTA. Featured within this report is a host of startling statistics, the worst of which is that 77 per cent of respondents said they often go hungry because they simply cannot afford to eat. A full 62 per cent said they have used foodbanks for more than 12 months and 48 per cent use food banks on a planned monthly basis. Given the families' lack of financial resources, coupled with expenses, their struggle becomes obvious: the median monthly household income of Fareshare clients is $1,140 while the median market-value rent paid is $860. As a result, Fareshare's Thanksgiving Food Drive - the agency's most important event of the year - will go a long way to helping the average 308 families (more than 1,100 people) it has served every month so far this year. Donations of all non-perishable food are welcome, but the following are items Fareshare invariably runs short of: canned fruit, canned vegetables (except corn), canned tomatoes and instant coffee. The public has the option of dropping off donations at any of Oakville's fire halls or at Fareshare itself, located at 1240 Speers Rd., Unit 6. The foodbank will be open during the drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Oakville supermarkets will provide drop-off bins while donation bags will be handed out at the Real Canadian Superstore. Those wishing to donate money can also send cheques (for which income tax receipts will be issued) to 1240 Speers Rd., Unit 6, Oakville, Ontario, L6L 2X4. Cash donations will also be accepted at the Real Canadian Superstore. Monetary donations are vital to Fareshare's existence since, in part, they are used to supply mothers with vouchers redeemable at local supermarkets for such items as milk and fresh fruit for their children. (Children account for 52 per cent of Fareshare's clients.) The foodbank has averaged $2,260 per month for vouchers in 2006. Money is also spent providing items such as ground beef, sausages, chickens and cheese. For Thanksgiving, Fareshare will be providing families with turkeys, a gesture it will repeat at Christmas. The foodbank is also looking for high school students to help with a variety of activities related to the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Time spent volunteering can be applied to their required community service hours. Please call 905-845-8014. Fareshare Foodbank, which is run entirely by volunteers, has served needy Oakville families since 1988 but is not supported by any level of government. It does, however, receive help from a wide base of socially conscious civic groups, area businesses and individuals. For more information call 905-8473988. 39 Pay no th Birthday LAST CHANCE! ENDS SUNDAY BASH! Save Double the Save Double the GST! Taxes! GST! -A-Box Sp Bust Game! ring Simply come into any participating Royal Mattress location for details on how to win! Queen Size 2pc. Set WIN your Pay no Save Both Purchase! PST! Taxes! Enchantment Euro Top Sleep Set Cloud-like comfort on top of our luxurious foam encased sleep system. Luxurious and affordable. Twin 2 pc set - $795 Double 2 pc set - $895 King 3 pc set - $1395 $ 995 OUR The Regional Municipality of Halton NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTION TRANSFER OF WATER SERVICES ON MAPLEHURST AVENUE, FOURTH LINE, REBECCA STREET AND BRIDGE ROAD TOWN OF OAKVILLE ES LAK BEST SELLER! Queen Size 2pc. 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