Time For Everyone To Dig Deep To Help Out Local Food Banks

A client named Marie, wrote a little poem to express her gratitude for the help she received from the Good Neighbours Food Bank on Lafontaine Street in Hanmer. It was entitled “Once Upon Eternity” and is displayed right beside the exit for everyone to see. The poem reads:  “Above the clouds so high there were some chosen Angels who had no wings to fly. Their hands were made for helping. Their hearts were tender, too. Their smiles were warm and happy. And glowed as halos do. So God sent down these Angels, because they are such dears, to spread their gentle love on earth. We call them volunteers!”

Indeed, in the short time I spoke with the wonderful “Angels” shown in the photo, I have to agree with Marie. Shown standing behind the table on which they package individual food baskets for the needy are: Lillian, who serves in the capacity of receptionist, responsible for greeting and registering all clients who visit the Food Bank; Stella, who is in charge of stocking and organizing the clothing section; Margaret, who is responsible for restocking dry goods that must be downsized into smaller containers; Gisela, who is Secretary of the Board and who also accepts responsibility for food inventory; and Andrea, who interviews all clients to determine their particular needs.

The Good Neighbours Food Bank, which has been under the leadership of Ann Unwin for many years,  provides service to residents living in Hanmer and Val Therese (the 969 exchange). It is open the last two Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for people who are in need of food and the last two Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for people who are in need of clothing or other miscellaneous items. In cases of emergency or dire distress, Ann, who is also President of the Food Bank, makes arrangements to assist clients.

Last year, over 1200 individual food packages were provided to local residents by the Good Neighbours Food Bank. The second last Wednesday is always busy with well over 20 families being provided with boxes of food to get them through the next several days.

We wanted to be open towards the end of each month,” explained Gisela. “Often people need a little bit of help while they are waiting for their next cheque. The food bank can supply them with a few days of food to get over the shortfall.”

For some, the lack of food is a short-term problem. For others, it is something that they need for survival. The volunteers at the Good Neighbours Food Bank do whatever is necessary to help each and every individual who comes for assistance. Each family is treated differently, depending on their circumstances and needs. A typical single food package consists of: 1 can of vegetables, 1 margarine, 1 can of potatoes or rice, 1 sleeve of crackers, 1 peanut butter, 1 can of pork ‘n beans or 1 can of stew or 1 can of pasta, 1 cereal or oatmeal, 1 box of kraft dinner, 1 can of soup, 1 can of meat or fish, 1 juice and 1 powdered milk. This is expected to last two or three days.

During my visit to the food bank on October 31, it was obvious that the stock was running low. Gisela indicated that items such as spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, canned meat, kraft dinner, jars of jam, and peanut butter, to name a few, were in need of replenishment and it would be necessary to go shopping to fill the shelves. However, the Food Bank has limited resources and is hoping for large quantities of donations during the coming Christmas season which is several weeks away.

In an effort to help the Good Neighbours Food Bank, The Vision Paper will be accepting food donations at our office at the top of the hill beside Tasse Motors in Hanmer. On your way to or from work, or as you are driving back from shopping, think of the clients of the Good Neighbours Food Bank and see if you can spare a few non-perishable food items. The staff of the Vision will see to it that the food gets delivered to the Food Bank and into the hands of those who need it most. We all have our day-to-day problems, but few of us can even imagine the despair of having absolutely no food in the house. Let’s show people who are down on their luck that living in Valley East means having people who care that are ready to help.

Celebrating Young Entrepreneurs Who Have Planted Their Roots Close To Home

“The Regional Business Centre, the City of Greater Sudbury and the Province of Ontario believe it is important to celebrate the young entrepreneurs who have chosen to stay and plant their roots here, in the City of Greater Sudbury”, stated Helen Mulc, Manager of the Regional Business Centre, located at Tom Davies Square.        She was speaking at a special celebration held on October 25 at Tom Davies Square, which gave recognition to young business owners from across the City who are trying to establish themselves in Sudbury.

Bernie Caza, owner of Caza Auto Parts of Hanmer, shown on the left with Mayor Jim Gordon, and Warren Kirwan, owner of Infocom Canada Business Consultants, were two of over 60 young entrepreneurs who were presented with an Award of Merit during the ceremony.

Mayor Gordon’s address was especially inspirational as he stated very sincerely to all of those gathered for the event, “You are the heart of this community who give us hope for the future. Your entrepreneurship is what makes the difference for us today. We thank you for taking the risk and pushing the envelope.”

“Today we applaud your energy to stay and find a place in Sudbury,” stated Mulc. “While others have chosen to leave, you have chosen to stay and create your own path.”

For a complete listing of the businesses which were recognized during the event, you can log onto www.sudburywebcast.com.

The Vision Paper is committed in its resolve to help all businesses in Valley East and Capreol remain strong and viable in providing for the needs of the local community. The City of Greater Sudbury is in the middle of an economic slowdown, so now is the time for all of us to support the endeavours of small business in order to stimulate growth, jobs and a hope for a better future. We congratulate, not only young entrepreneurs, but all other people with the courage to resist the urge to migrate to the south and for having the confidence in the future of our local community to make Valley East and Capreol their home for living and for business.

Valley East Oldtimers Keep On Going and Going and Going...!

While no one would dare call Ron Gladu, shown on the left in the photo, “old” to his face without expecting a stiff “cross-check” in retaliation, over 100 of Ron’s friends currently hit the ice at the Centennial and Ray Plourde (Confederation) arenas twice a week during the winter months. Gladu Photos is one of the six teams in the Valley East Oldtimer’s League this year. Ron has been sponsoring a club for over 15 years. Also shown taking the face-off with Ron is Jacques Dupuis, on the right, sponsor of Dupuis Auto, the opponent for this game. About to drop the puck is 22 year-old Marty Kirwan, a person who began his officiating career with the Valley East Minor Hockey Association nine years ago and is now recognized as one of the senior referees in the district, doing games at the O.H.L. and N.O.J.H.A. levels. Marty and many of the other senior officials in the community enjoy doing the Oldtimer’s games because they involve a recreational-competitive style of play which is a throw-back to the days when sportsmanship was something to be proud of. All of the men come out to play their hardest each and every game, but they all remember that it is just a game and that no game is worth the price of  a friendship or an injury.