Holidays see surge of demand at Aurora Food Pantry

While the holidays are a joyous time for many, it can also be a time of stress for people struggling to make ends meet – and for the organizations that work to lend a helping hand.

The Aurora Food Pantry is no exception, and this year they're not only dealing with the typical holiday surge, but a surge that comes amid increasing demand year-round.

If you would like to lend a helping hand, the Food Pantry says priority items this season include pasta sauces, baby formula, hygiene products, diapers, canned fruits and vegetables, cereals, juice boxes, rice in small bags, and even pet food.

“We were averaging about 700 clients per month before the pandemic, but we're well over 1,000 now,” says Aurora Food Pantry Board Member Maureen Casey. “We are grateful for all donations.”

The Food Pantry's recent installation of a walk-in freezer has “been a godsend,” she says, in helping them distribute fresh-frozen food, including turkeys during the holiday season, but those turkeys came to them through a personal donation that has not been renewed since the start of the pandemic.

“If any community organization would like to partner with us on these types of seasonal things, we would love to hear from them and partner with them,” says Casey.

For a regularly updated list of needs, as well as additional ways to help the Aurora Food Pantry and the clients they serve, visit aurorafoodpantry.ca.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter