Bonnie Pidgeon Cougler says she thinks more people in the South Grenville area understand the value of a food bank because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was people knocking on our door that said, ‘I can’t believe I need a food bank, but I need a food bank, I’ve lost my job. I never thought I would lose my job, I’ve always worked, I’m a hard worker, why would I need you?’” says Cougler, the Executive Director of the South Grenville Food Bank.
The organization, which supports low-income families in communities like Prescott, Spencerville and Cardinal, is celebrating its 20th anniversary later this month.
Cougler says she’s thankful towards the South Grenville community for their support, and that she looks forward to another 20 years.
“If the service is needed, we are gonna be here.” she says. “We know that the goal is always to get food banks out of business because we don’t need food banks, and I’d be okay with that. But while we still need food banks, we want to be part of our community. It’s just too important.”
The organization is hosting a party to celebrate the anniversary on August 27th. You can learn more about the event here.