Big Band helps the food bank

A $2,000 cheque from the Lake Country Big Band to the Lake Country Food Bank was the finishing touch to an incredibly generous season for the food bank.

The need in the community is still high, demand is clearly up and Lake Country residents rose to the occasion over the past year.

“The funds and food donations over the holiday season were a complete success,” said Lake Country Food Bank director Phyllis MacPherson.  “We had more food and donations than ever, I cried for days, honest to God. I am so impressed with my beautiful community.”

The food bank meets the food needs of more than 500 people every month. MacPherson said the December numbers were very high this past year. During the week of Christmas, 505 people (345 adults and 160 children) were served with 212 hampers. The first part of December provided an additional 42 hampers to 64 adults and 16 children.

“Demand is so up,” said MacPherson, explaining that the service area for the food bank is larger than most people realize, extending from Oyama to Ellison.

The food bank operates solely with volunteer effort and provides staple foods to create nutritious meals for recipients.  MacPherson even provides the necessary recipes to help stretch the food to cover a month. Recipients are encouraged to not take what they won’t use and are expected to wisely manage what they receive.

“We give a lot of meat and all the vegetables you need to make soups and stews,” MacPherson explained.

She has had food bank clients pour out their gratitude for the delicious meals created with her recipes and the opportunity to be a part of feeding themselves.

The Lake Country Big Band supported the food bank with their annual Christmas concert. Dave MacLean, who plays alto saxophone with the Big Band, said the decision to support the food bank is an easy one for the Big Band,

“The need is there, we want to be able to help that cause,” MacLean said.