Could you survive on $8 and a box of food for a week?

 For Hunger Awareness Week, Caledon Community Services (CCS)
has 10 people from our community partaking in a food box challenge
for the week of May 7-11, 2012. 

Currently, CCS' food bank supports 846 local residents. Three to five days worth of non-perishable food items are given to clients as well as a food certificate each month.

Kim D'Eri,
Manager of Poverty
Reduction Partnerships, 
showing a sample
of the box of food
participants will receive
for the week.

Realizing this is not a way to sustain oneself or their family, CCS has put the spotlight on the inefficiency of their current system by having 10 prominent people from our community partaking in a food box challenge for the week of May 7-11th.

Participants of the challenge will be sharing their experiences on this blog throughout the week. Please check back daily for their personal updates. Participants are:

·         Marco Cesarone, Manager of Zehrs Bolton

·         Dr. Ryan French, Inside Out Chiropractic

·         Karen Hutchinson, Executive Director of Eat Local/Farmer

·         Father Larry Leger, CCS Board member/Holy Family Catholic         Church

·         Layla Panjeta, CCS Care Coordinator

·         Richard Paterak, CCS Board member/ Regional Councillor

·         Bill Rea, Caledon Citizen Editor

·         Jeff Rollings, In the Hills Magazine Freelance Writer

·         Matthew Strader, Caledon Enterprise Reporter

·         Allan Thompson, Regional Councillor

In order to meet the true nutrition needs of clients, the CCS food bank will be expanding late summer. Moving to a 3,600 square foot location on Healey Drive, the larger building will allow the housing of a refrigerator, freezer and the acceptance of fresh produce in the future.

CCS' food support program will be far more than a traditional food bank. Employment skills training, nutrition classes, family cooking classes, seniors jarring activities, farming partnerships and even some sales overseen by a youth enterprise are all part of the vision of what will be available at this new community hub.

The food support program is partially funded by the United Way of Peel Region and is one of the many initiatives operated by Caledon Community Services.