Giving from the Heart

From our barn-raising, lend-a-hand roots, to today's walking to raise funds for disease research, Islanders have a long tradition of always showing up to help those in need. Whether a family member, a friend, a close neighbour, or just a fellow citizen; the people of Cape Breton are always there to graciously offer a helpful hand. Watching the food donations over the last four weeks made us all realize just how strongly this very proud tradition lives on.

It has been amazing to watch so many people giving so much of themselves to do everything they can to help those in need. It was due to the leadership, dedication and planning of our Women's Committee; the relentless commitment of our members; and the continued generosity of our communities, that our "Stamp Out Hunger" campaign was a resounding success. We watched as shelves literally went from nearly bare to chock full, allowing local food banks to directly help our neighbours and provide a basic human need to so many people.

Food banks send out the message loud and clear that our social safety net is falling apart. It might be a message that no one wants to hear, but it has become a fact of life for so many in this area. For many among us, the prospect of having something nutritious to eat, or of having anything to eat at all, is a day-to-day proposition. That shouldn't happen here or anywhere ... ever.

Families in crisis are coming for emergency assistance in rising numbers. And the ever-increasing number of patrons has made keeping food on the pantry shelves a challenge.

Hunger is not just a big city problem. No town or city is immune to families or individuals needing assistance. They reside in the next town or in the next block over. We pass them every day on our commute to work, or maybe brush shoulders with them on the sidewalk. These are families we know. They live near us. They are our neighbours. They are people just like you and me.

Some families are draining bank accounts to pay for car repairs, climbing heating expenses, or medical costs their insurance doesn't cover or because they don't have insurance. Other families seek help when their households have been devastated by divorce or abuse, recently laid off from their jobs or are working in a new position that pays less. These are the ones that are suffering the anxiety of making their paycheck stretch until next Friday so they can put another meal on the table. They have no choice but to turn to food banks to get relief from hunger and the fear of how to feed their loved-ones.

It was very inspiring to see so many people bringing so much positive energy and making something happen. It was a chance for all of us to help feed our neighbors and to lead community efforts in the awareness and elimination of hunger in our area. And thanks to those people that supported our efforts, these families will have somewhere to go for their next meal.

It is such caring, such compassion, such understanding and the ability to reach out and help those in need, that makes us such a strong and effective community. However, it is recognizing the need that is there, that will now make us all look around and count our blessings, in the very uncertain world that we live in today.

Thanks to all for giving from your hearts,
Breton Local 117.

A Drop in the Bucket

High winds, threatening skies, then rain ... this week the problem of fighting hunger was compounded by the weather. And just because we were good people, in a good endeavor, doesn't mean there were no difficulties or tedious moments to overcome. While the weather is beyond our control, the manner in which the tribulations are handled is not.

Our group had bonded through our community building efforts and the time together during the previous two weeks helped build our spirits and gave us enough energy to overcome the obstacles. Not only did we fulfill our duty of giving back to our community, we went above and beyond the call.

So, to all that participated in this week's food drive, I congratulate and thank each and every one of you for displaying such compassion and determination to help the less fortunate in our society. Such strong support does make a difference when dealing with the growing problem of hunger. We were able to donate a substantial amount of food that will keep the shelves at the Glace Bay Food bank stocked for another few months.

We all realize it is not even half as hard as it looks to help those in need. One person helping can make such a difference in someone's life. And the commitment and caring attitude of Breton Local members has touched the lives of people throughout our communities. Our efforts mean the difference between someone having to skip meals or go to bed with their stomach growling.

Some people might think that our efforts are just small drops in a big bucket. However, we know that if you have a bucket; those small drops can fill it up, very fast. Being a drop in the bucket is magnificent and so all our drops are incredibly significant. So we're very proud to be a drop in the bucket and play a part in stopping hunger in our communities.

Every single pound of food that we collected helps. Anything we can do, whether it's big or small helps someone in need. It is so easy to make a difference in our communities, and we showed that we are very willing to help make a difference. The outpouring of support we gave and received should enable the local food bank to help low-income families and senior citizens, as well as continue their year-round mission of feeding the hungry.

This really confirms that our local, and our communities, are filled with a multitude of unsung heroes who want to help, as our struggle to feed the hungry continues ...

Thanks to all,
Robert A. Chant

One More Family Will Go Hungry, One Less Day

Looking at the results of our efforts over the last two weeks, it is very evident that our "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive is being very well received and the response just keeps growing. We had a tremendous return from the Sydney area this week, and collected enough food to fill more than 10 vans. It excites us to say that your incredible response is the driving force behind our mission to feed the hungry.

The wonderful outpouring of our communities and your generous donations of food will help make the tough times a little less rocky for those in need. You can be assured that your kindness will help needy families turning to area food banks because of illness, unemployment or the daily struggle to make ends meet.

The holiday season's abundance of food donations to local food banks is long past, but the ranks of hungry and food insecure people in our area continue to grow. Studies show that there are local children that live in households that lack sufficient food and there are senior citizens who must decide whether to buy medicine, or a small bag of groceries.

We all realize the local economic downturn has generated layoffs and business closures and is creating hardship for many low-income families in the area. Changes in government policies, and the intensifying financial challenges faced by the working poor seeking to feed, shelter and care for their families, has driven them to seek additional aide. Many of these even wonder where their next meal will come from, and many of them have children to feed.

Hunger was usually a short-term crisis brought on by fire, illness or temporary job loss, but now many of the people in our area are working poor families and the elderly who are forced by economic necessity to pay regular visits to local emergency pantries. And local hunger relief organizations are working frantically to keep up with this increased demand.

Your donations will help replenish the shelves of local food banks in the weeks to come, and not a moment too soon. Over the last few weeks, food banks were reporting that they were running low on food to distribute, so your thoughtful generosity is truly appreciated.

Thank you all for joining us in providing a helping hand. You confirmed our belief that our communities are filled with truly outstanding people genuinely interested in helping to alleviate hunger. And because of all your efforts, one more family will go hungry, one less day and many children will not go to school or to bed without a nourishing meal.

Thanks to all,
Breton Local 117.

Grateful and Proud

Breton Local would like to thank each and every letter carrier and volunteer who assisted in our "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive campaign, being held between March 25th and April 15th. The drive was kicked-off today in the North Sydney and Sydney Mines area, and was declared an enormous success by all participants.

It takes many hands and hearts to pull together all that is needed to orchestrate a successful drive. And to see the teamwork that went into this successful event was wonderful to experience. Our drive was spearheaded by the Women's committee, who not only met the challenge of organizing and coordinating such a huge event, they surpassed all expectations.

Our special food drive is an effort to provide food to those that would otherwise miss meals without our help at a time when contributions to food banks are typically low. We are eternally grateful and proud of the support of the first two communities in our month-long venture. Their donations will go far in our efforts to help the low and no income families in the local area.

Such a successful day can be directly attributed to the dedication of Breton Local members and the citizens of the area that donated food and volunteered their time. We are truly privileged to have members and communities that respond so generously to others in need and it shows with the incredible amount of food we collected so far.

Without a reliable supply of food, food banks would not be able to meet the needs of those in the community that would otherwise go without. Food banks help in the struggle against poverty and hunger; a much-needed social safety net within our communities. We can be proud that there are food bank volunteers who are coming through for the poor and hungry with the little resources they have available.

We are very proud of those volunteers and donors with consciences and ethics that will not allow them to turn a blind eye to those in need. They realize food is not just a commodity and are prepared to share it with those that need it the most. These are the people who are giving back so much to their community and are the people that are so deserving of our sincerest thanks.

And the goodness of how that all feels, to be a part of something so big, within a group of people that has a heart of giving, is such a great feeling that reminds us of how generous our communities can be.

Thanks to all,
Breton Local 117

Members of Breton Local and a volunteer from Sydney Mines' Food bank unloading donated food.	The Women's Committee Preseident, Faye Hanna, poses with some of the food collected during the March 25th food drive held on the Northside.
Members of Breton Local and a volunteer from the Sydney Mines' Food, stop to pose with some of the food donated in today's drive.	Members of Breton Local pose with shopping carts full of donated food at the North Sydney food bank.
Volunteers from the Sydney Mines food bank help Gordie MacDonald unload donated food items collected in Sydney Mines.	Breton Local President Gordie MacDonald and Vice-President, Dan MacCormick with a pleased volunteer from the Sydney Mines food bank.
Proud members of Breton Local are shown with some of the food donated at the North Sydney food bank.	Women's Committee Preseident, Faye Hanna (2nd from left), Vice-President, Dan MacCormick (4th from left) and Breton Local President Gordie MacDonald (2nd from right) pose with some of the wonderful volunteers at the Sydney Mines food bank.