CBC Windsor's Sounds of the Season 2019 campaign raises $26,000, 19,000 kg of food
35 groups carried out food drives for the campaign
Each year, CBC Windsor works with organizations across Windsor-Essex to drum up food and monetary donations as a means of supporting the Windsor Essex Food Bank Association.
This year, 35 groups carried out food drives across the region, raising $26,017 in cash donations and 19,403 kilograms of food donations.
June Muir, president of the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association and CEO of the Unemployed Help Centre, said the financial donation "is going to help buy items that we don't normally get donated."
Fifteen food banks across the region will benefit from this year's donations. As for families who rely on support across the region, Muir said they're likely going to be excited that food banks will have meat in stock.
"When we have a large donation … we're able to work with a grocery store or whomever and get meat at a [reduced price]," she said.
This year's monetary donation will enable the region's food bank association to purchase approximately 3,600 kilograms of ground beef.
Muir estimated that 3,200 people will be able to benefit from the beef purchase.
Last year, CBC Windsor's holiday food drive was able to raise about $27,000 in cash donations, as well as approximately 21,770 kilograms of food donations.
Based on last year's numbers, Muir estimated that 17,200 people over the course of six weeks will be able to benefit from this year's donations.
Robert Laframboise, who has volunteered with the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association for the past four years, said he still can't believe the support the organization receives.
"We got a lot of hard workers and a lot of good volunteers down there at the food bank, and especially the people running it — they are very efficient and they do a great job," he said.
The Windsor Essex Food Bank Association served approximately 137,000 people between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019 — 46,000 of whom were children.
On average, the food bank serves 11,450 people each month.
Read this year's Sounds of the Season stories:
With files from Sanjay Maru and Windsor Morning