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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, October 10, 2013 | 8 Thanksgiving effort at Cobs for Food for Life by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver Bringing food to those in need helps Food for Life build a community. Established in 1995 by Oakville's George Bagaco, Food for Life is a non-profit organization that collects surplus perishable food from grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants and the corporate food sector and delivers it for free to 50 community organizations in Halton and 46 outreach programs in low-income neighbourhoods. In Oakville, Food for Life serves more than 700 clients at 14 outreach program sites, says executive director Charlotte Redekop-Young. "We find that poverty in Oakville is often hidden. People might not see it, but there are pockets in our community that have a very high need. People may be on disability (or) just have low-income experiences and they're in need of a weekly source of food," she said. The need locally is "large and ongoing," Redekop-Young noted, as the challenge is getting people food year-round, not just during the holidays. "Food for Life is a bit different than your typical food drive because we focus on the produce, meat and diary that are the most nutritious and expensive that people have difficulty getting," said Redekop-Young. "It's something that is a constant need for some people." Three Oakville Cobs Bread bakeries -- Lakeshore, Fox Creek and Upper Middle -- are teaming up to raise funds for Food For Life on Thanksgiving weekend by donating $2 for each 12-pack of dinner rolls sold. Here, from left, are Kevin Ker (Lakeshore Road location), Jeff Moseley-Williams (Upper Middle and Eighth Line) and Curtis Charan (Fox Creek Plaza, Third Line and Dundas Street). | photo by Chantal Ayotte ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) Outreach programs provide fresh food to clients in neighbourhoods where access to transportation is limited. Karen Bonham, outreach program manager, said some programs are set up with a community partner such as a church or a low-income housing agency. "We are using somebody else's bricks and mortar to deliver food. We're not delivering food to one central place and having people come to get it. We're delivering it to locations where the people are so it makes the food far more accessible," said Bonham. Oakville organizations served or partnered with Food for Life include the Birch Glen and Glen Oaks co-op homes, Halton Multicultural Council, St. Hilda's and St. Jude's Anglican churches and the Seedlings Children's Centre, among others. Food for Life will be launching a new outreach initiative in Oakville later this month at the Jean and Howard Caine Apartments. The residence provides accessible housing for 75 physically-challenged adults through March of Dimes Canada. "They're in a lower income category, so paying for food can be very challenging to them. Many of them wouldn't be able to afford a diet that an average person would be able to," said Bonham. Equally as important as its programs are the volunteers, Redekop-Young said. The organization has more than 600 across Halton -- 70 in Oakville -- and is "always looking for more." She noted Food for Life is particularly in need of more volunteer drivers. "We would not be able to expand our imprint in this community without volunteer drivers. They are able to provide pick-up and delivery services for our many outreach programs on the weekends," said Redekop-Young. Oakville resident Bob Towarnicki has been a volunteer driver for more than four years and drives one Saturday a month. He is one of 10 local drivers. "I feel it's necessary to help those who are in difficult circumstances, I want to give back and see Trio on p.15 P R E S E N T E D BY T H E C A N A D I A N C E L I AC A S S O C I AT I O N Smile Cookies are gone, but the smiles they've left in our community will last forever. Thanks to your support,Tim Hortons will be donating the entire proceeds to Oakville Hospital Foundation. To find out more visit timhortons.com 9am to 5pm Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington · Free Parking & Access to the Gardens SAMPLE Try before you buy newest in Gluten-Free products LEARN Listen to expert guest speakers DISCOVER Newly certified products under the Canadian Celiac Association's new Gluten-Free Certification Program Sunday October 27 BUY Stock your pantry with the Buy Tickets Online or At the Door Proceeds from this show will support the charitable work of the CCA and help improve quality of life for thousands of Canadians who are affected by gluten. CanadasGlutenFreeMarket GlutenFreeMrkt 1-800-693-7986 A DIVISION OF © Tim Hortons, 2010 www.canadasglutenfreemarket.com