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Mike Farnworth
Farnworth won’t say whether he’ll run Simone Blais sblais@thenownews.com
Paul vanPeenen/NOW
Lindsay, a volunteer, adds a bin of dry goods to a meagre supply of non-perishable items at SHARE’s food bank. SHARE is short of both food and money for its annual Christmas hamper program, and has issued an appeal to Tri-Cities residents for help.
Food bank issues desperate plea John Kurucz jkurucz@thenownews.com
Food stocks have reached a critical low point at the SHARE society’s food bank, prompting the nonprofit’s staffers to implore community members for food donations before the weekend. Heather Scott, who serves as director of development for the SHARE Family & Community Services Society, characterized the current food shortfall as a “perfect storm” — demand has peaked before the time of year when community members are most generous. “It’s a crisis of timing more than anything,” Scott said. “We’re kind of in the perfect storm.” SHARE’s problems are twofold: a higher than usual amount of families have accessed the group’s services in the last two weeks, while the bulk of holiday donations come in during the last week and half before Christmas. That increased demand, coupled with a need to send out more than 1,500 Christmas hampers this
weekend, has Scott scrambling to find ways to bolster donations of food, specifically in the next two days. She hopes the food that will go into the Christmas hampers on Friday and Saturday will carry families through until the new year. “This time of year we make a big purchase and it’s the only time of year that we make such a significant purchase — to fill those food hampers,” she said. “Then typically we will look to the food bank’s donated food to supplement those hampers so that they are ample and that they will stretch over a three-week period so that mom and dad have at least a couple days not to worry about what’s in the cupboard.” Scott used the food bank’s current supply of Kraft Dinner as a type of canary-in-the-coal-mine scenario to assess the level of need: SHARE normally has about 40 cases of Kraft Dinner in stock at this time of year, but as of Tuesday, there were only six. “Without the community’s donations, literally in the next three days, it means the hampers will be smaller,” she said.
News of the food shortage had Coquitlam councillors repeating the call for donations at Monday’s meeting, with Coun. Selina Robinson saying she received a “desperation e-mail” from SHARE staff outlining the level of need. “It’s deeply troubling,” Mayor Richard Stewart added Tuesday. “We know that when times are tough, it is possible that people are contributing less to those who don’t have as much.” The food bank generally prefers cash donations, which allow SHARE staffers to buy a higher volume of food at discounted prices. But that concept doesn’t apply in this case. “We do really well with cash, but the challenge is that we don’t have supply chains to react quick enough,” Scott said. “If we go to the local grocery stores, literally, we will empty the shelves because we are looking at 1,500 or 1,600 of everything.” Canned meat, pasta sauce, canned ham and Kraft Dinner are among the items most in demand, and they can be donated at local grocery stores or at SHARE’s food bank depot located at 2615 Clarke St. in Port Moody.
While some may be diving into the race, one potential candidate is content to look at the pool’s deep end from a distance. Mike Farnworth will wait until the holidays are over before publicly declaring whether he will run for the BC NDP leadership. In a statement issued Friday, the Port Coquitlam MLA said he was “humbled by the support and encouragement” he has received from those who want him to replace outgoing leader Carole James, who announced her resignation on Dec. 6. “The next leader must be someone who can unite our party and win an election against determined opponents,” he wrote. “Over the next number of weeks, I will be listening to my caucus colleagues, party members and British Columbians who are ready for change to determine if I am that candidate.” That doesn’t change the fact that some are trying to push him in the water. Port Coquitlam Coun. CONT. ON PAGE 4, see TWO.
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