Food bank raising cash for sea lift
Organizers hope to raise $20,000 needed for annual resupply
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, June 6, 2016
IQALUIT
Twenty-thousand dollars short, the Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank will be placing its annual sea-lift order in the next couple of weeks, and organizers just hope the money comes in by the time the full bill is due.
Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank chairperson Stephen Wallick, left, and vice-chairperson Jen Hayward are hoping to make up a $20,000 shortfall for the food bank's sea lift order to fill the shelves. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo |
"We need to have it arrive on the third boat (at) the latest, which puts us to have the order finalized by the end of June, first week of July," said food bank chairperson Stephen Wallick.
His organization typically places $80,000 sea-lift orders once per year to restock the food bank's shelves. This year, he's about $20,000 short and seeking donations and fundraising to make up the gap.
The sea-lift order accounts for the vast majority of food the food bank has, with some food donations coming in from donation bins in the city and other means.
For a visual, $80,000 of food is about 17 or 18 crates' worth, said Wallick.
Currently, the food bank has enough food to last until October.
Jen Hayward, vice-chairperson of the food bank, said the organization has seen a huge increase in clients since starting in 2001.
"It's difficult to plan for surges," she said. "If all of a sudden a major employer lays people off or if electricity rates go up and people find themselves more cash strapped, our numbers increase because of that. Ongoing and continued support, not only for our sea lift but throughout the year, is important so that we are able to help those who are food vulnerable."
The bank currently serves about 500 clients every two weeks, and assists many other organizations in town, such as the soup kitchen and men's and women's shelters.
"We give supplemental food to Arctic College students in the fall and in the winter to get them started at their semester," said Wallick.
"We're serving about 1,000 people a month plus whatever emergency needs come up, so that taps into our savings."
His group is also making use of food that has expired on the grocery store shelf but is still safe to eat.
"The best-before food is still good for months to years after the best-before date," said Wallick.
"Retailers can't keep it on the shelf, but we're in communication with all of the local grocers and they've been very generous to supplement with their food that is best before. All of that helps us get through the Christmas season when extended families come and we have larger distributions."
Hayward said the food bank gets tremendous support from local businesses and organizations.
"People are always willing to give and we're confident they're going to come through this time as well," she said.
"We'll be placing our order in the next two weeks and then we'll keep our fingers crossed that come September when the bills come due we'll have money in the bank to pay it."
