For the average elementary school kid, their designated snack break means they can close their books, bust out a tasty treat and chat with their friends. But for many others, it means they have to fake a stomachache or hide in the bathroom because their family can’t afford food.
That was one of the stories told by Leslie Salisbury, community relations manager for North Halton and Milton Food4Kids charity. The organization is one of the latest to receive financial backing from United Way Milton. It was also one of the pit stops on the local United Way’s bus tour, ‘Seeing is Believing’.
On October 7, the United Way organized a tour for its volunteers, staff and supporters to three of the 29 agencies under its umbrella, including the Milton Community Resource Centre Infant Food Bank, Food4Kids and National Service Dogs Training Centre Inc. The point of the tour was to show people where their financial contributions were going. It was also the prime opportunity for United Way Milton to announce its 2014 fundraising campaign target —¬ ¬ $711,288.
“Our eyes were open when we saw the need here in Milton. We saw families who had no food, infants with no diapers…our funding has grown substantially but we still need more,” said Kate Holmes, CEO of United Way Milton.
According to Holmes, more than 25,000 residents use United Way’s agency services.
“That’s one in four people. It’s 25 per cent of our population who need our help.”
The funding target announcement took place at Boston Pizza on Maple Avenue after the bus tour, with about 50 people in attendance, including Mayor Gord Krantz, local councillors Mike Cluett and Sharon Barkley, as well as agency representatives and volunteers. They all went on the bus trip and admitted that what they saw and heard tugged at their heartstrings.
“You’d only hope that a community wouldn’t need agencies such as United Way, but the reality of it is, they’re needed,” said Krantz.
The need is apparent in the numbers that were shared on the bus tour. Between 2006 and 2009, the number of low-income families in Milton grew by 74 per cent. The Infant Food Bank services 30 families per month. Baby formula is the number one stolen item at Shoppers Drug Mart. And roughly 55 kids a week get lunch from Food4Kids.
“Everyone sees Milton as a large, affluent community with a pretty high average income, but then you hear all of these stories of kids going hungry…you just realize that we may be growing fast but there still is a lot of need,” said Cluett.
Salisbury said 60 per cent of the families she deals with at Food4Kids come from “sheer poverty,” where their mom or dad has drug addictions, alcoholism or suffer from mental health issues.
“We’ve seen and heard it all,” she said.
Food4Kids provides students from kindergarten to grade eight with two hot meals, snacks, fruit cups, an oatmeal pack, a single serving of cereal and two or three fresh fruits and vegetables.
United Way Milton also helps charitable organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton, the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton, Nelson Youth Centres, St. John Ambulance and the Reach Out Centre for Kids, to name a few.
Last year, United Way Milton’s target goal was around $705,000 and the organization surpassed it by $5,000.
The hope is even greater this time around. With more focus placed on the agencies and the people within them, representatives from the United Way hope to attract more donors.
“We are supporting families and individuals in the community. We are making our community stronger,” said Holmes.
Anyone who wants to donate or become a volunteer for United Way can contact office@miltonunitedway.ca or call (905) 875-2550.
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