The Sikh community believes in sharing wealth. In Petersburg, that translates into weekly food donations
‘If they need somebody to stand with them, we are going to be standing with them,’ says Ajmer Singh Mandur
Whether it's a stuff-a-bus event, fundraising at schools or food drives at places of worship, December is the time of year when people often think about giving.
But at the Golden Triangle Sikh Association, people don't wait for a holiday to give back.
In fact, those who attend the Gurudwara Sahib in Petersburg often bring food each week to donate, says Ajmer Singh Mandur, a board member with the association just west of Kitchener.
"We try to do as much as we can to work with the local governments, the local food banks to ensure that we do our part in feeding those who are less fortunate," Mandur said in an interview.
Most Sikhs are vegetarian and that's reflected in the donations, Mandur said, with popular items ranging from beans and lentils to rice and corn flour.
When the association started holding food drives more than 10 years ago, it did so twice a year.
But about two years ago, the organization decided to double that number because it knew there was a need in the community.
Mandur said people are always willing to help out at other times of the year.
"If they reach out to us saying, 'You know what, we're going down, our shelves are sort of emptying out on this product or we need some more food, can you give us a hand?' … We will do it," he said. "If we can't generate enough food, then we will be in a position to actually financially support them … And that is always an open invitation."
Partnerships like this are what help The Food Bank of Waterloo Region manage increasing demands, its chief executive officer says.
'Tumultuous year'
Wendi Campbell said this has been a "tumultuous year" as donations dropped just as individuals faced "a perfect storm of high housing costs, pandemic job losses [and] rising food costs."
Food hamper distribution is up 40 per cent from when the pandemic began in March 2020, but the number of people requesting emergency food has also risen — by 22 per cent, Campbell said.
About half of people who use the food bank are also receiving social assistance, but the other half are often people who are working but not making enough money to cover all their needs, Campbell said.
She said the food bank helps single people, families and seniors. It has also seen a rise in demand from people experiencing homelessness.
LISTEN | The Food Bank of Waterloo Region's CEO Wendi Campbell on the need this year.
That need, however, is not restricted to Waterloo region.
The annual Hunger Report from Feed Ontario, released last month, found nearly 600,000 people made more than 3.6 million visits to food banks in Ontario between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021.
Siu Mee Cheng, the interim executive director of Feed Ontario, said in an interview on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition that COVID-19 has compounded issues of precarious employment, increased the cost of food and seen housing prices and rent continue to rise.
'We are going to be standing with them'
Mandur says part of Sikhism is to share your wealth — and to stand with those in need.
He hopes the efforts of people who bring their items to the Gurdwara each week are felt throughout the community.
"We're living in a country where people come in with high hopes and sometimes they fall in the cracks and they're not really doing as well as they thought they would be doing," he said.
He said he also hopes the organization's efforts will inspire others.
"I'm hoping that this would encourage all those people who have the means to afford everything and who could just give, if not 10 per cent, at least one per cent of their earnings towards the betterment of the community at large," he said.
CBC K-W's annual Sounds of the Season campaign raises food and funds for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
