In just four hours, 1,200 pounds of non-perishable food items and about $1,000 in cash donations were collected at York Regional Police’s Cram-A-Cruiser event for the Food Bank of York Region.
The fundraiser was held Saturday, March 19, at two Walmart locations in Vaughan to raise food, funds and awareness on food insecurity in York Region.
Volunteers were able to engage with community residents about the FBYR’s food security efforts, accept non-perishable food donations, collect monetary donations, and hand out YRP and FBYR branded stickers and magnets as a thank you to generous donors, according to a news release.
“We had a great time at the food drive, despite the very cold weather. The energy level was high, and people who donated were thanked with loud cheers,” said Susan Horne, a volunteer at the Food Bank of York Region.
“It was a lot of fun and I got to help pack the food into the police cars for all the people who don’t have any food to eat,” said seven-year-old Remy Dastranj, the youngest volunteer at the Food Bank of York Region.
“I think the key to our success was greeting shoppers as they came in. We told them that there are currently lots of families who can't feed their kids. They were encouraged to add one or two items to their shopping list and drop them in the bin on their way out. People even asked what we needed,” Horne added.
“The success of our community food drives and fundraisers always comes down to the energy and commitment of our volunteers and hosting organizations like York Regional Police,” said Alex Bilotta, CEO and founder of the Food Bank of York Region. “We’re very grateful four our community donors that give back and help us fight food insecurity, and were thankful for our community organizations and dedicated volunteers. They lit up the atmosphere at the two Walmart locations, encouraging our community residents to donate what they could, and raised a heightened awareness to food insecurity in York Region.”
The FBYR is an avid supporter of community fundraisers and food drives and actively encourages members of the community to get involved by hosting their own in-person, online and peer-to-peer fundraisers. For more information on food drives and fundraisers with the FBYR, please click here.
