In a heartwarming display of generosity and community spirit, the three Rotary Clubs of St. Catharines, namely Rotary St. Catharines, Rotary St. Catharines Lakeshore, and Rotary St. Catharines South, joined forces with Interact Clubs from Laura Secord Secondary School, St. Catharines Collegiate, and Eden High School for the inaugural ‘Rotary Wish List for Community Care’ project. This collaborative effort, aligned with Rotary's theme for the year, "creating hope in the world," unfolded on Saturday, November 25, 2023.
Teams of dedicated volunteers strategically stationed themselves at the entrances of 12 grocery stores across St. Catharines from 10 am to 1 pm. Armed with a carefully curated 'wish list' of the top 12 items most needed by Community Care, these volunteers engaged with shoppers, distributing lists, and encouraging them to contribute to the cause by adding items to their shopping carts.
This year, the demand for Community Care's food bank reached unprecedented levels, with Executive Director Betty-Lou Souter expressing concern over the registration of close to 3,000 new individuals in 2023 alone. With the increase of first time users, Community Care St. Catharines is now assisting upwards of 10 percent of the total number of residents in St. Catharines and Thorold.
The results of the 'Rotary Wish List for Community Care' project are nothing short of remarkable. The initiative successfully collected over 5,500 lbs of food, with a dollar value estimated at $20,075, and a commendable $4,149 in cash donations was raised as well. Of this total, $1,099 was contributed by shoppers, while the remaining generous sum was donated by Rotarians directly. This equates to a total donation of nearly $25,000. This incredible achievement reflects the community's compassion and commitment to making a meaningful impact.
Wish List Co-Chair Mike Britton reflected, “The International Rotary theme for this year is 'creating hope in the world,' and that is what this food drive is all about. Every contribution, big or small, transforms into a practical Christmas gift, making life a bit easier for those in need. All those who donated and volunteered on this project can be proud that they are a part of making a miracle for a family experiencing food insecurity this Christmas.”
The Rotary Clubs would like to thank the Christian Centre of St. Catharines who generously provided space for the morning gathering. Special thanks are extended to Rotarian Elaine Richard for sponsoring coffee and Timbits for our volunteers, Rotarian Duncan Willock for sponsoring the printing of the Wish Lists, and Bugsey's for graciously sponsoring pizza for all the volunteers after the event.
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