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w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Fr id ay , O ct ob er 1 , 2 01 0 2 8 By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF No one is more thankful thatThanksgiving is approach-ing than the folks at Oakvilles Fareshare food bank. The volunteers there who fill the grocery cart once a month for nearly 400 families are hoping donations will be plentiful as Fareshare enters its two-week Thanksgiving food drive Saturday, Oct. 2 to Sunday, Oct. 17. We have not run out of food, emphasizes the Speers Road agencys vol- unteer executive director Dudley Clark. However with a much poorer than expected donation tally at last Easters food drive and the long months of summer under its belt, Clark admits he has had to reduce and in some cases eliminate some items for clients. At one point, peanut butter was restricted to families of a certain size, as was canned salmon. Clark isnt asking for people to donate more of those items in partic- ular, just to donate in general, so shelves can be stocked and stocked with a broad range of food. Unlike other local food banks, which serve clients in crisis or those participating in adjunct program- ming, Fareshare is available to any- one in Oakville who shows financial need. It is also operated strictly by vol- unteers, not only volunteer dona- tions, but volunteer workers. Times have been tough recently for just about everyone as the econo- my took a nosedive and has been slow to rebound. As residents face increasing costs, there is perhaps even less relief in Oakville where one doesnt find a plethora of affordable housing options and where 71 per cent are paying nearly more than two-thirds of their income on housing. With numbers of clients at Fareshare at their highest level since the recession of the early 1990s, and the economy still a major concern to many, the people who volunteer at Fareshare are not just worried about making it to the next food drive these days. Now, theyre worried that the food drive will not be bountiful enough for those in need. Were helping human beings who need a little bit of help, said Clark. The statistics bear him out. In fact, 62 per cent of Fareshare clients are from a household with at least one person working. Some 38 per cent have a post-secondary education, most are paying nearly two-thirds of their income on housing, and at least half have sold belongings, borrowed from family and friends or run up credit card or line of credit debt. I believe the cost of accommoda- tion is the main factor that puts peo- ple in the position of needing help from the food bank, said Clark. These are not people just sitting around at home watching TV, said Clark. A lot of the people who come here are employed, their family income just isnt big enough to meet their familys need. They need a little bit of help, said Clark. With more than half of the Fareshare visits by families with chil- dren, Fareshare provides food to approximately 1,200 people a month. The man who has been at the helm of the Speers Road food bank for 18 of the years since it set up shop in 1988, Clark said Fareshare officials are confident theyre helping those in need as they have stringent screening and updating of financial need. And these days it appears Fareshare is working against the odds on a couple of fronts. Not only is it facing higher client numbers and a continued belt tight- ening by just about everyone, it is also facing decreasing donations. And while population growth may drive client numbers up, Clark said it isnt doing the same for donations. Nor is it a matter of being in a position to give. Some who have not are still giving, while others who have wealth dont bother. Whatever the problem, Clark and company are hoping theyll see a turnaround this Thanksgiving. Fareshares food drive runs Saturday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 17. Food donations can be dropped off Fareshare needs to stock up at Thanksgiving LivingOakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER WORKING TO FILL THE NEED: Fareshare food bank volunteer Joan Smith collects a food order for a client from the assorted goods on the shelves of the Speers Road food bank where volun- teers and clients are hoping the upcoming Thanksgiving food drive will replenish the selection on those shelves. The food drive runs from Saturday, Oct. 2 to Sunday, Oct. 17. See No page 29