Ste-Geneviève United Church's Annual Food Drive - 2009

Every fall Ste-Genny's organizes a Food Drive. Over a period of 10 weeks non-perishable foods, household items, etc. are collected. A few days before Christmas, all the food collected is put on tables in McNevan Hall and Christmas Baskets are prepared for and delivered to needy families in our neighbourhood.

This year Émily Rioux is our coordinator. But, Émilie cannot do it alone. So, we are looking for volunteers to help with various aspects. Let us not forget: Many hands make light work.

Please use the form here if you are able to help us fill one or more of the above positions.

Our 2008 Food Drive was a great success. During the bagging of groceries at Maxi & cie we collected $1,604. Under the contractual agreement with Maxi, $160 was returned to their "President's Choice Children's Charity". The remaining $1,444 was used to buy additional supplies for our hampers. It was a "WIN/WIN" for all parties concerned. We distributed food hampers as well as toys for the kids to 29 families. Our givings were so abundant that we could also deliver many boxes of food and Christmas hampers to Norma McCallister and Cheshire. Thank you all for your contributions of food, toys, goods, money, time, muscle (lifting/carrying boxes) and smiles.

Please help to make our 2009 FOOD DRIVE as successful as it was last year!

We also ask for your help with the following:

• Sunday, October 11 - Sunday, December 13: Everybody is invited to bring in 1 non-perishable food item, etc. per person / per week. … We have provided a suggested shopping list with ideas of items to bring here. (Ici vous trouvez une version française.) It is ready for printing such that you can put it on your refrigerator as a reminder. Watch the local flyers for special savings and purchase the items at discount prices or go to SOS Cuisine to find This Week's Specials!!!! You can also make a special monetary donation; just mark  the amount with the notation Food Drive on your church envelope.

• Starting Mid-November: Volunteers are needed to tally and box for storage the Food Items collected weekly. Please contact the church office.

• Friday, November 27, 6:00 - 9:00 pm: We are all invited to shop at Dix Mille Villages, a fair trade retailer in Pointe-Claire Village (#108, 290 Chemin du Bord du Lac). A protion of the sales will be donated to Ste-Genny's Christmas Food Basket Fund and will go towards easing the costs of additional purchases for the food hampers. For more information about Fair Trade and Dix Mille Villages please refer to their website here. Please invite as many people as possible.  See the special announcement here.

• Friday, December 18: Starting at 7:00 pm. All the food collected will be put on tables in McNevan Hall, sorted by type. We need your help putting out all the items.

• Saturday, December 19: In the morning, starting at 9:00 am, people will be "shopping". You will be given the "names" (e.g. mom, dad and three kids, ages this, that and that) of a family and fill several empty cardboard boxes with goods for this family. If you can, please bring a cart such that you don't have to carry the boxes which may be heavy when full. In late morning, the beginning of the afternoon all boxes will be delivered to the families. If you have a van, strong hands and a good back we ask for your help with this.