Stratford man supporting community through scrap metal collection

A Stratford man has made it his mission to help those struggling to put food on the table – and he’s doing it in a very unusual way.

“Anything that’s made out of metal or electronics that has a cord on it, or magnets stick to it, we’ll take it,” Howard Blakeney explained.

It started with an online post about collecting scrap metal, but has since turned into a community movement.

Blakeney takes the proceeds from those discarded items and purchases items for people experiencing food insecurity. His team then gets the food baskets to those who need them the most.

Cleo Verdon, a volunteer with the group, sees a big demand in the area.

“We get them baskets and they start crying because they’re afraid to ask for help... so when we find out about it, we make sure that they get it,” she told CTV News.

Blakeney knows first-hand how hard it is to get a good meal.

“I was born poor and I know what it’s like living in housing,” he said. “I grew up in housing, my kids grew up in housing. They managed to get out of that, so now we’re trying to help everyone else that’s still stuck.”

The crew aims to buy fresh produce or meat, in addition to pantry stables. They say local shop managers have been working with them and often offer a deal when they can.

The team is meeting a crucial need while also helping the community get rid of unwanted items from around their home.

“A lot of them were paying people to come and take their stuff away and now they can get it done for free and it’s for a good cause,” Blakeney said.

“It’s helping a lot of people,” added Verdon. “It’s getting rid of their stuff and it makes them feel really, really good.”

Blakeney and his team collect everything from tin cans to bed frames. Anyone wanting to donate is asked to reach out through Blakeney’s Facebook account.