Relying on a food bank has become a reality for even more people this week.
The South Grenville Food For All Food Bank has organized a Hunger Awareness Challenge this week. People who have signed up for the challenge will be living off of only what the food bank provides. Bonnie Pidgeon Cougler is the Executive Director of the food bank and says the challenge is designed for people to see what it’s like to walk in other people’s shoes. Pdgeon Cougler notes the experience of going to the food bank before even getting the food can cause anxiety for some people.
“You may have to wait in a waiting room, where there could be multiple other clients waiting for opportunity to go into intake. So, we try to be as quick as possible and we try to make sure that everybody is feeling ok.”
The Hunger Awareness Challenge is a part of Hunger Action Month. Food banks across Canada use this month to spread awareness of hunger in local communities, including Prescott. Pidgeon Cougler says food banks in Ontario were visited by nearly half a million people last year.
“All of our food is free, matter of fact we can not charge our clients. It’s in our mandate that we do not charge people for food. We have many clients who need us and have many clients who have different case scenarios.”
To find more information on the food bank in Prescott click here.
