Cameco has announced a $100,000 combined donation to the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank and Green Wood Coalition. Each organization will receive $50,000 to help them build and sustain the vital services they provide which help to address and support people experiencing difficult circumstances.
Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel was in Port Hope today to tour the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank and attend a cheque presentation with the recipients.
“Organizations like Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank and Green Wood Coalition deserve a lot of recognition for the work they do to help lift people up and make a positive difference to the lives of everyone they touch,” said Gitzel. “Our communities are made stronger because of this work, and we are grateful to be able to provide support that will help these organizations as they continue to provide important services and resources.”
Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank is dedicated to serving the community by collecting and
distributing food and other necessities. Its two locations in Port Hope and Cobourg assist approximately 500 people facing food insecurity each week. The $50,000 donation represents the largest single donation in Fare Share’s history and will assist the food bank with managing escalating food costs, increasing users and enhancing volunteer safety.
“We are extremely grateful to Cameco for this significant contribution. Our funding is based entirely on the generosity of donors, and we are never quite sure what that amount will be,” said Helen Donovan, chair of the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank. “This donation helps provide some certainty at the beginning of the year and enables us to develop specific plans for expansion and provide greater support for our neighbours.”
Green Wood Coalition is a street-level organization that uses a community model of caring to walk alongside people who are hungry, homeless and hurting in Northumberland County. Green Wood assists and empowers individuals experiencing difficulty navigating support systems and facing barriers surrounding housing, income, healthcare and food security by providing individualized information and support. The $50,000 donation will assist Green Wood Coalition with outreach and education and expanding its addiction and recovery treatment program – RedPath. RedPath is a multi-module mental health and addiction support program which helps individuals self-discover aspects of their spiritual, emotional, physical and physiological healing.
“This generous gift from Cameco makes it possible for us to offer additional drug addiction recovery options, based in our home community,” said David Sheffield, executive director, Green Wood Coalition.
“Given the current opioid crisis, the timing is critical and this project will activate individuals who have lived experience with addiction to use their expertise to improve prevention, education and treatment.”
Community members interested in learning more about how they can get involved in or donate to the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank and/or Green Wood Coalition can learn more through their respective websites: www.fareshare.ca / www.greenwoodcoalition.com.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
