The community kitchen operating out of St. Alban’s Anglican Church in Grand Falls-Windsor suffered a significant setback when the church was broken into and the food they had stored there was stolen — not once, but twice.
Despite the setback, the local community has rallied around the program to keep it going.
It delivers hot meals to up to 300 seniors and others in the community once a week. Over Christmas they can deliver up to 500 meals and food baskets.
Director Laurie Ballard is blunt, saying some people blame the rising cost of food for the theft of food, but she believes it’s related to the region’s growing drug problem.
“In my opinion drugs are rampant in Grand Falls-Windsor right now, and they’re looking for a quick fix and they’re using the food to sell out around to make money,” says Ballard. “That’s my opinion.”
She says the break-ins and thefts were a significant blow to the morale of the volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to cooking and delivering meals, and the many people who rely on the service. But she says the community has rallied around the program following the thefts.
Ballard says Universal Fabrication supplied the food to get Wednesday’s delivery out, while area residents and the local business community have also stepped up to provide moral support and donations.
“We received a lot of donations of turkeys from the businesses of Grand Falls-Windsor and wee received a lot of monetary donations for gift cards. Sobey’s was also phenomenal to us … you would not believe.”
Ballard noted food donations are now being stored somewhere other than the church.