Guelph holiday drive focuses on food sensitivities
Local food drives are working to stock shelves this holiday, but one campaign in Guelph aims to help those with severe allergies.
Ensuring those with food sensitivities are served this festive season is the goal of Ward 1 councillor Erin Caton, who is collecting non-perishable foods for people with hypersensitive diets as part of a new campaign — Donate for Disability.
“Everybody donates around this time of year,” Caton said. “But usually people forget there are a lot of folks out there that have food sensitivities.”
The initiative will supply local groups including Your Downtown Guelph Friends, Chalmers Centre and North End Harvest Market.
Allergies to gluten, dairy, corn and nuts are just a few of the challenges for some facing food insecurity.
It’s something Caton has experienced firsthand.
“When you have disabilities like I do, sometimes you need those things to keep yourself low inflammatory. I went to the food bank before and when I went, there was none of those things for me there,” she said.
GROWING NEED
In neighbouring Waterloo region, the latest food bank report shows use of its Emergency Food Assistance Program has increased from 1 in 20 households last year to 1 in 14 household, a more than 42 per cent jump.
“We prepare 200 meals a week, and sometimes that’s not even enough,” said Kate Nixon of Your Downtown Guelph Friends.
Nixon says finding specific products for those with allergies makes meeting the demand even more challenging.
“The price points often very high for those products so we’re finding that it’s very difficult for people to access that,” Nixon said.
Donate for Disability is accepting donations at Guelph City Hall until Dec. 9.
But Caton hopes highlighting the concern will lead to much-needed donations to other food drives.
“If you have your favourite charity then please add these items to your donations,” she said. “Because it’s a year round need.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.