Summer Food Drive Ends With 8,000 Pounds of Donated Goods

Peterborough County showed its generosity as over 8,000 pounds of food was donated to Kawartha Food Share (KFS) in a summer campaign announced Tuesday.

(left to right) Murray Jones, Ashlee Aitken and Dave Smith at Kawartha Food Share. KFS distributes 150,000-200,000 pounds of food in a month which feeds over 9,000 individuals. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The drive began in early June where Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith toured around participating grocery stores around the county. Roughly $5,000 in cash donations was given as part of the drive.

Smith was accompanied by KFS general manager Ashlee Aitken and warden of Peterborough County, J. Murray Jones to make the announcement of the food drive’s conclusion at the KFS warehouse.

Over the summer, food drives were held twice at Morello’s Your Independent Grocer, John’s Valu-mart Lakefield Giant Tiger, Buckhorn Foodland and Havelock Foodland.

“This is our second food drive since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” said Smith. “I am always shocked at the generosity of the people in our community, having raised over 8,000 pounds of food for our communities and $5,000 in cash donations.”

“The food drive truly reaches those who need a helping hand,” said Jones.

These drives supported the local food banks in Lakefield, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Curve Lake First Nation, Buckhorn, North Kawartha, and the Lovesick Lake Native Women’s Association.

“This initiative has raised over 3000 pounds of food for our local North Kawartha Food Bank which is incredible,” said Carolyn Amyotte, North Kawartha mayor. “Having lost our only grocery store to fire last December, Dave’s efforts to re-stock community food banks like ours is humbling and very much appreciated.”