Time For
Everyone To Dig Deep To Help Out Local Food Banks
A client named Marie, wrote a little poem to
express her gratitude for the help she received from the Good Neighbours
Food Bank on Lafontaine Street in Hanmer. It was entitled “Once Upon
Eternity” and is displayed right beside the exit for everyone to see.
The poem reads: “Above
the clouds so high there were some chosen Angels who had no wings to
fly. Their hands were made for helping. Their hearts were tender, too.
Their smiles were warm and happy. And glowed as halos do. So God sent
down these Angels, because they are such dears, to spread their gentle
love on earth. We call them volunteers!”
Indeed, in the short time I spoke with the
wonderful “Angels” shown in the photo, I have to agree with Marie.
Shown standing behind the table on which they package individual food
baskets for the needy are: Lillian, who serves in the capacity of
receptionist, responsible for greeting and registering all clients who
visit the Food Bank; Stella, who is in charge of stocking and organizing
the clothing section; Margaret, who is responsible for restocking dry
goods that must be downsized into smaller containers; Gisela, who is
Secretary of the Board and who also accepts responsibility for food
inventory; and Andrea, who interviews all clients to determine their
particular needs.
The Good Neighbours Food Bank, which has been
under the leadership of Ann Unwin for many years,
provides service to residents living in Hanmer and Val Therese
(the 969 exchange). It is open the last two Wednesdays of each month
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for people who are in need of food and the last
two Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for people who are in need of
clothing or other miscellaneous items. In cases of emergency or dire
distress, Ann, who is also President of the Food Bank, makes
arrangements to assist clients.
Last year, over 1200 individual food packages
were provided to local residents by the Good Neighbours Food Bank. The
second last Wednesday is always busy with well over 20 families being
provided with boxes of food to get them through the next several days.
We wanted to be open towards the end of each
month,” explained Gisela. “Often people need a little bit of help
while they are waiting for their next cheque. The food bank can supply
them with a few days of food to get over the shortfall.”
For some, the lack of food is a short-term
problem. For others, it is something that they need for survival. The
volunteers at the Good Neighbours Food Bank do whatever is necessary to
help each and every individual who comes for assistance. Each family is
treated differently, depending on their circumstances and needs. A
typical single food package consists of: 1 can of vegetables, 1
margarine, 1 can of potatoes or rice, 1 sleeve of crackers, 1 peanut
butter, 1 can of pork ‘n beans or 1 can of stew or 1 can of pasta, 1
cereal or oatmeal, 1 box of kraft dinner, 1 can of soup, 1 can of meat
or fish, 1 juice and 1 powdered milk. This is expected to last two or
three days.
During my visit to the food bank on October 31,
it was obvious that the stock was running low. Gisela indicated that
items such as spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, canned meat, kraft dinner,
jars of jam, and peanut butter, to name a few, were in need of
replenishment and it would be necessary to go shopping to fill the
shelves. However, the Food Bank has limited resources and is hoping for
large quantities of donations during the coming Christmas season which
is several weeks away.
In
an effort to help the Good Neighbours Food Bank, The Vision Paper will
be accepting food donations at our office at the top of the hill beside
Tasse Motors in Hanmer. On your way to or from work, or as you are
driving back from shopping, think of the clients of the Good Neighbours
Food Bank and see if you can spare a few non-perishable food items. The
staff of the Vision will see to it that the food gets delivered to the
Food Bank and into the hands of those who need it most. We all have our
day-to-day problems, but few of us can even imagine the despair of
having absolutely no food in the house. Let’s show people who are down
on their luck that living in Valley East means having people who care
that are ready to help.
Celebrating
Young Entrepreneurs Who Have Planted Their Roots Close To Home
“The Regional Business Centre, the City of
Greater Sudbury and the Province of Ontario believe it is important to
celebrate the young entrepreneurs who have chosen to stay and plant
their roots here, in the City of Greater Sudbury”, stated Helen Mulc,
Manager of the Regional Business Centre, located at Tom Davies Square.
She was speaking at a special celebration held on October 25 at
Tom Davies Square, which gave recognition to young business owners from
across the City who are trying to establish themselves in Sudbury.
Bernie Caza, owner of Caza Auto Parts of Hanmer,
shown on the left with Mayor Jim Gordon, and Warren Kirwan, owner of
Infocom Canada Business Consultants, were two of over 60 young
entrepreneurs who were presented with an Award of Merit during the
ceremony.
Mayor Gordon’s address was especially
inspirational as he stated very sincerely to all of those gathered for
the event, “You are the heart of this community who give us hope for
the future. Your entrepreneurship is what makes the difference for us
today. We thank you for taking the risk and pushing the envelope.”
“Today we applaud your energy to stay and
find a place in Sudbury,” stated Mulc. “While others have chosen to
leave, you have chosen to stay and create your own path.”
For a complete listing of the businesses which
were recognized during the event, you can log onto www.sudburywebcast.com.
The Vision Paper is committed in its resolve to
help all businesses in Valley East and Capreol remain strong and viable
in providing for the needs of the local community. The City of Greater
Sudbury is in the middle of an economic slowdown, so now is the time for
all of us to support the endeavours of small business in order to
stimulate growth, jobs and a hope for a better future. We congratulate,
not only young entrepreneurs, but all other people with the courage to
resist the urge to migrate to the south and for having the confidence in
the future of our local community to make Valley East and Capreol their
home for living and for business.
Valley
East Oldtimers Keep On Going and Going and Going...!
While no one would dare call Ron Gladu, shown
on the left in the photo, “old” to his face without expecting a
stiff “cross-check” in retaliation, over 100 of Ron’s friends
currently hit the ice at the Centennial and Ray Plourde (Confederation)
arenas twice a week during the winter months. Gladu Photos is one of the
six teams in the Valley East Oldtimer’s League this year. Ron has been
sponsoring a club for over 15 years. Also shown taking the face-off with
Ron is Jacques Dupuis, on the right, sponsor of Dupuis Auto, the
opponent for this game. About to drop the puck is 22 year-old Marty
Kirwan, a person who began his officiating career with the Valley East
Minor Hockey Association nine years ago and is now recognized as one of
the senior referees in the district, doing games at the O.H.L. and
N.O.J.H.A. levels. Marty and many of the other senior officials in the
community enjoy doing the Oldtimer’s games because they involve a
recreational-competitive style of play which is a throw-back to the days
when sportsmanship was something to be proud of. All of the men come out
to play their hardest each and every game, but they all remember that it
is just a game and that no game is worth the price of
a friendship or an injury.
The Valley East Oldtimer’s League consists of
men who either live or once lived in the communities of Valley East or
Capreol. All of the men are over 35 years of age and the oldest this
year is in his 60's. There is no body checking, no slap shots, and no
standings. In fact, one of Marty’s jobs during the evening was to
start the clock at the beginning of each period. They play a 40-game
schedule, plus playoffs and are on the ice for two games each week.
Games at the Centennial Arena are played every Sunday (8:00 a.m., 9:30
a.m. and 10:00 p.m.); Tuesday (10 p.m.) and Wednesday (10 p.m.).
Thursday night games are played at 10 p.m. at the Ray Plourde
(Confederation) Arena.