Each year at this time, we are overwhelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of our clients and design team as they help us gather food for donation throughout our community.
This year, we invite you to join us once again as we celebrate the holiday season with our annual food drive in coordination with Durham Regional Police and their 30th Annual Food and Toy Drive.
Who Uses Food Banks?
According to Food Banks Canada, thirteen percent of Canadians do not have reliable access to adequate amounts of safe, good-quality, nutritious food. The root cause of hunger in Canada is low income, which consistently affects more than four million of us at any given time.
Each month, over 850,000 people turn to food banks for help with more than one-third being children and youth.
The people who visit food banks come from all backgrounds and include:
- families with children
- employed people whose low wages do not cover basic living essentials
- individuals on social assistance
- Canadians living on a fixed income, including seniors and people with disabilities.
Support the Families in Your Community
Drop off these much-needed nonperishable food items at Monarch’s Pickering showroom by December 20th.
Whole grain foods like oatmeal, barley, high-fibre cereals or whole-grain pasta contain plenty of fibre and are an excellent source of minerals like magnesium and iron.
Baby cereals and jarred baby foods make good donations since roughly one-third of Canadian food bank recipients are children.
Lean proteins from foods like canned tuna and chicken; plant proteins like peanut butter, beans, and lentils; or more complete proteins contained in other canned meats help in the maintenance of body tissue and contribute to a feeling of satiety.
Canned fruit is high in vitamin C and dietary fibre. Likewise, if they’re free of added salt and sugars, studies suggest that frozen and canned vegetables are often as good as fresh produce.
Milk alternatives like shelf stable milk, powdered milk, almond milk, and rice milk from the grocery store shelf contain vitamin D, vitamin A, and, most importantly, calcium.
If you’re planning to donate to a food bank directly, money is by far the best donation you can make. Financial donations give food banks the flexibility to buy fresh perishables for their hampers or load up on items they’re not getting enough of.
Visit the Monarch Kitchen & Bath showroom at 1020 Brock Road, Unit 6, in Pickering during normal business hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday through Saturday. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at 905-686-2001.