CORNWALL, Ontario – The Regional Emergency Response Council (RERC) has announced that it will be providing a fifth round of emergency food hampers.
The hampers, which are funded through the Social Services Relief Fund are being made available to vulnerable residents and their families in Cornwall, the United Counties of SD&G, and Akwesasne.
“The City of Cornwall has been very fortunate to receive funding through the Social Services Relief Fund provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As indicated by the Ministry, the housing and homelessness sectors in Ontario have had to alter the ways in which we provide services to vulnerable populations due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding has been made available to Service Managers to help support the demands in their area, in order to safely and successfully transition to recovery. As part of the transition to recovery, we are very pleased to be partnering with the Regional Emergency Response Committee to provide funding for the food hamper initiative and are very appreciative of their support in administering this initiative,” said Mellissa Morgan, Manager of the City of Cornwall’s Social & Housing Services Department.
Registration for the hampers opens today, May 31 and will remain open until Friday, June 11 at 4 p.m.
The last round of food hampers that were being distributed in March of this year saw 150 individuals make a request for a food hamper on the first day of registration. To register for a food hamper, individuals in need are asked to call 613-936-0306 ext 253 and leave a detailed message with the person’s name, phone number, full address, and how many people live in the household. Registrations will be responded to within two business days. This round of registration may end sooner based on demand.
“The majority of referrals will be received from over 50 community agencies however we know that not all vulnerable people are connected with community support services. Therefore, we will once again offer a self-referral process to ensure no one is left behind as food insecurity continues to be an issue that too many of our friends and neighbours are faced with during this pandemic,” said Carilyne Hébert, Executive Director of the Social Development Council of Cornwall and Area.
The hampers will be distributed on June 21 at the former Home Hardware on the corner of Pitt St. and Thirteenth St. Those who are interested in volunteering to help distribute the food hampers are asked to email stephanie@sdccornwall.ca or call 613-936-0306 ext 253.
“As many of us begin to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel in respect to the pandemic, those that were the hardest hit by its economic impact continue to suffer. These hampers bring hope and comfort to some for which full recovery will take months, if not years. We at the United Way/Centraide SDG are proud to be part of the team leading these Emergency Hamper initiatives,” said Juliette Labossière, Executive Director of United Way/Centraide SD&G
