One volunteer organization struggling to get donations ahead of holiday season

Canadian Food for Children said it is one of many organizations who are struggling to get businesses to support the efforts because of the pandemic. 

According to the volunteer-based organization, much of the support from those businesses haven't been there because of the lack of supplies from the businesses that typically support these causes. 

Canadian Food for Children's goal is to ensure people in poorer countries in central and south America and Africa get the supplies needed to survive. 

Linda Lou Pinnington is a volunteer for Canadian Food for Children and she tells the Mike Farwell Show that it takes a lot of work and community support to make things happen. 

“It takes regular, constant work,” she said. “It starts in Mississauga with the main depot that was founded Dr. Andrew Simone and his wife Joan back in the 1980s and they have a depot there. From there, another depot was started in the late 1980s in K-W called the Herb Wittich depot located at 843 Guelph Street in Kitchener.” 

Pinnington said many donations are being accepted right now.

“We accept many things,” she said. “Food, yes, of course but also many other donations in the way of clothing for any aged children right to adults for any season, hygiene items, school supplies, non-breakable household items. We do have a wish list on our website. We are busy all year long collecting these things.” 

Pinnington adds monetary donations can also be made to support the cause. 

Pinnington says some of the companies that normally support the cause aren't getting the number of supplies they used to in order to help donate these items to some of the poorest countries in the world. 

“We are certainly not the only ones that have found a change with COVID,” said Pinnington. “We have had regular suppliers and donors in the past that have been so helpful to us on a weekly basis but they, these donors, have been hit. They aren't getting the supplies they used to get and therefore we don't either. We aren't getting the regular supply of donations that come in and that means we have to go out and appeal to the general public to get involved,” she said. 

The depot is open on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:30 p.m., to 3 p.m., where volunteers will take donations on-site. 

“We are asking the general public to check in their closets, drawers and cupboards in their households for clothing, household goods, and personal hygiene items. You'd be amazed at the things you don't need any longer of things that we can take. From that point of view, you can really help us out.” 

Pinnington adds that it's been tricky to get volunteers in a larger group setting to ensure that the donations are being brought in and distributed.

“Our volunteers are many and we are so thankful for them. They are 100 per cent volunteer. Nobody gets paid and so many people come in Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. We have a list of truckers who come into the warehouse when it's full and help to load the truck that heads into Mississauga. We'd be lost without them. We're all sort of sitting in-limbo right now hoping that the response is going to be positive and we can really get back to work.”