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GROWING NUMBER OF FOODBANK USERS
ANTOINE MESSIER antoine.messier@eap.on.ca
Th e Hawkesbury Central Food Bank has seen its number of clients increase by more than 100 users per month since 2021 and close to 150 users per month since 2019. Since 2019, the food bank has seen an increase of 33.7 per cent of users per month. The dollar value of donated food has also increased each year. Between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, the food bank had donated $123,868 in food to its users. Between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, the bank donated $221,341 in food, which marks a 78.7 per cent increase since fiscal year 2017. This increase accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2019 and 2021, the food bank saw an increase in food donations from 150,446 to 221,341, or 47.1 per cent. Inflation Jeanne Charlebois, president of the food bank, and Robert Lefebvre, food bank treasu- rer, believe that the increase in users is due to inflation. Lefebvre said that products are more expensive in grocery stores so people are more apt to ask the food bank for help to feed themselves. These same products cost more for the food bank as well, which increases the total expenses of the bank. j8JUIUIFDPTUPGMJWJOH UIFSFBSFQFPQMF who need a little help,» said Charlebois. j8FSFUIFSFv The foodbank has not yet encountered any financial problems. However, it is some- times impossible to obtain everything that is ordered because of the problems faced by grocery stores.
Jeanne Charlebois, Robert Lefebvre et les bénévoles de la banque alimentaire. -photo Antoine Messier
«Inflation has an impact in many ways,» TBJE-FGFCWSFj*UTNPSFFYQFOTJWFGPSFWF - SZPOF XIJDINFBOTHSPDFSZTUPSFTEPOU XBOUUPLFFQBMBSHFJOWFOUPSZ TPUIFSFT less surplus.» The food bank buys food from local gro- cery stores. Sometimes the grocery stores EPOUHFUBMMUIFQSPEVDUTPSEFSFE XIJDI NFBOTUIFGPPECBOLDBOUHFUJUTTIBSF Cash donations are also reduced. Indivi- duals have less money to donate, and social clubs, which usually donate money to the food bank, are receiving less money which NFBOTUIFZDBOUEPOBUFBTNVDIUPUIF foodbank as they used to. Quality Service The food bank still wants to keep the
same quality of service as in the past years and plans to donate Christmas baskets in December. This is possible thanks to the HFOFSPTJUZPGUIFGPPECBOLTQBSUOFSTTVDI as local grocery stores and non-profit organi- zations, as well as the people of Hawkesbury. However, it can no longer provide fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis to her clients. “Those who have gardens and those who have extra vegetables, we would appreciate EPOBUJPOTCFDBVTFJUTCFDPNFTPFYQFOTJWF
UIBUXFDBOUBGGPSEUPCVZUIFNBOZNPSF u TBJE$IBSMFCPJT5IFGPPECBOLTDMJFOUT also ask for cleaning products such as soap and shampoo, which is not included in the PSHBOJ[BUJPOTCVEHFU The food bank is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. It offers free food to anyone who needs it. The food bank also operates a free thrift store for all its users for those in need of laundry, school NBUFSJBMT DIJMESFOTUPZTBOEEJTIFT
Garbage and recycling Keeping Hawkesbury clean
EOHU OFFERS BIVALENT COVID VACCINE
Indigenous people aged 18 and up, as well as their families and partners. Pregnant individuals and healthcare workers must book over the phone through the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900, or through a participat- ing pharmacy, until September 25. After that, the vaccine will be made available to everyone 18 and over. Individuals must have completed their initial two-dose COVID vaccine, and at least three months must have passed since their last vaccine dose, to receive the booster. “As fall begins and we enter yet another cold and flu season combined with COVID-19, *NHMBEXFOPXIBWFBDDFTTUPUIJTOFX bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine,» said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health BUUIF&0)6j*FODPVSBHFFWFSZPOFUPHFU the new booster dose as I believe it will have a much better ability to prevent Omicron infections and prevent severe disease. As COVID-19 becomes one of the normally circulating viruses in the community, this booster will help us continue on our path out of the pandemic phase and into more normalcy.» The bivalent booster is only available by appointment. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit XXX&0)6DBWBD - cines 5PCPPLBOBQQPJOUNFOU WJTJUIUUQT DPWJEPOUBSJPDBCPPLWBDDJOFPSDBMM the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
A revision of the waste management by-law is being proposed to council this Sept. 26th. Changes proposed will affect regulations for the storage, collection, removal and disposal of residual waste in the Town of Hawkesbury. For comments/ questions about the by-law and proposed changes, please contact Jennifer Ashfield at 613-632-0106 or jashfield@hawkesbury.ca To participate in the meeting, contact Myriam Longtin at MLongtin@hawkesbury.ca before Monday, September 26, at 9 a.m.
Le Dr Paul Roumeliotis s’est dit heureux que le vaccin bivalent soit désormais disponible. -photo d’archive
CHRISTOPHER SMITH christopher.smith@eap.on.ca
A new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna offers protection against the original COVID strain as well as the Omicron variant. 5IF&BTUFSO0OUBSJP)FBMUI6OJU &0)6 IBT TUBSUFE PGGFSJOH .PEFSOBT CJWBMFOU COVID-19 booster as of September 12. Bi- valent vaccines protect against the original strain as well as the BA.1 Omicron variant, and preliminary studies suggest it may also protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. For now, the bivalent vaccine will be re- stricted to people 70 and over, healthcare workers, assisted living workers, immuno- compromised individuals 12 and over, preg- OBOUQFPQMFBOEPWFS BOE'JSTU/BUJPOT
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