Sudbury Food Bank fall give nearly $241K

Hundreds of women rely on the Salvation Army's Cedar Place as a refuge they can rely on until they can get back on their feet.

Running a shelter capable of housing 20 women and their children, as well as putting up some families in a local hotel, comes at a cost. Maintaining a home of that magnitude is expensive, said Valerie Hennessy, director of Salvation Army Cedar Place. And, despite funding from Ontario Works and the Salvation Army helping to cover the cost of day-to-day operations, there is always a need for more capital.

“Every little bit helps, and when you're maintaining a house that has room for 20 people plus their children, there's always expenses that come up and eat away at your budget,” she said. “We just had to replace all of our fire extinguishers. These things need to be done, because we're caring for a lot of people.”

Luckily, Cedar Place is one of 47 agencies to benefit from the Sudbury Food Bank's fundraising efforts.

On Nov. 19, the food bank doled out almost $241,000 to those member agencies. It was the food bank's fall give event, which acts as a safety net for those who are hungry.

“When funds like this come in, it certainly helps with our everyday budgeting,” said Hennessy.

In addition to those funds, the food bank has distributed 454 tons of food over the past year — or more than $2.2 million worth. Since the food bank's inception, it has handed out more than $7 million and distributed 2,892 tons of food.

Demand for the shelter's services varies throughout the year, she said. For the past several weeks, it was pretty quiet, but now the house is full.

Those finding shelter at Cedar Place can stay anywhere from a few days to several months — as long as it takes for them to get back on their feet or find permanent housing.

“This is a place where these women come when they have no other place to go,” she said. “For whatever reason, they aren't able to stay with family or they've lost their house — there are a myriad of reasons why they find themselves in this situation.”