Glebe campaign to help food bank this winter

Posted Feb 9, 2012 By Michelle Nash

EMC news - The snow will be falling in the Glebe all month long in February thanks to a new community initiative to raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank.

The Snowflakes in the Glebe Campaign launched on Friday, Feb. 3 and will run until Feb. 20, in conjunction with Winterlude festivities. The campaign calls for Glebe businesses to offer a snowflake to customers who donate a $1 or $2 coin in the Ottawa Food Bank mason jars in the stores.

Christine Leadman, executive director of the Glebe Business Improvement Area, said the campaign is a way to help feed hungry families in a time when the food bank needs help the most.

"During the colder months, the food bank is in desperate need for food donations," she said. "This is our way of helping out."

With other fundraising events such as the Great Glebe Garage Sale, the Ottawa Food Bank is well supported in the Glebe. Leadman said this last minute campaign was truly a community-driven initiative.

"We didn't have a lot of planning time," Leadman said. "We brainstormed and always came back to how to make this a real community event.".

Alongside the mason jar donations, McKeen's Metro on Bank Street will be holding a two-day food drive on Feb. 11 to 12.

"It is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there will be volunteers at the front door who will be handing out bags for donations," store manager Nathan Pilson said.

Shoppers will be able to fill the bags with non-perishable items to purchase and place in shopping carts at the front of the store.

This may only be the first year of the campaign, but Leadman is looking forward to making it a tradition.

"Sign the snowflake and have it posted in the store windows and show support for peoples in need."

michelle.nash@metroland.com