Caledon residents face highest-ever need for food, financial support

Caledon Community Services still seeking donations to Season of Hope campaign

By Zachary Roman

When Mariia Kupriianova went to The Exchange in the morning the other day, she saw a line of people outside waiting for it to open to receive food support and assistance for the holidays.

Kupriianova is Caledon Community Services' (CCS) Chief Development Officer and The Exchange is CCS' hub for food and social support in Caledon. It's located at 55 Healey Road in Bolton.

“The need is greater than ever before,” said Kupriianova. “I'm sure you're feeling it every time you go to the grocery store… we can't make it through these tough times without community support.”

CCS is currently in the midst of its Season of Hope campaign, which has been running for over forty years during the holidays to help those in need. CCS cites unprecedented inflation, job loss and slow post-pandemic recovery as some of the main reasons families in Caledon are struggling to pay rent and put food on the table.

With its Season of Hope campaign, CCS aims to keep Caledon families fed with nutritious food, in warm homes, and on a path to health and independence.

Donations of food, gift cards, or money to help Caledon residents in need can be made in person at The Exchange or CCS' office at 18 King Street East in Bolton. They can also be made online at ccs4u.org/donate/season-of-hope.

Up until December 7, Caledon Fire was helping to collect gift cards for Season of Hope, with that date being chosen so a large number of gift cards could be distributed to families in time for them to shop for the holidays. Season of Hope as a whole will continue running into early 2023.

Kupriianova said in the last six months of 2022 CCS saw a 40 per cent increase in the number of visits to The Exchange.

The COVID-19 pandemic had already caused an increase in visits, and the latest data shows the upward trend in visits is not only continuing but getting higher.

Kupriianova said a recent food price report estimates another seven per cent increase in grocery prices over the next year, which will only add to the struggles many Caledon families are facing. 

“It's horrible that food insecurity is becoming a buzzword, it is very bad news,” said Kupriianova. “Having to make the impossible choice between a warm home or food on your table… It's becoming reality for so many families. Some of these families never needed our support before… they never thought that they might need this support before.”

CCS prides itself on the welcoming atmosphere of The Exchange, said Kupriianova, and dignity and respect for community members is always top priority. She explained it's important for the community to be welcoming and never leave anyone behind. Kupriianova said there's a large list of those who step up to help their community, be it local businesses, students, sports teams, faith groups, service clubs and residents in general. She said CCS is so incredibly grateful for their support and any future support too.

Every day, Kupriianova said volunteers at The Exchange are working tirelessly to support their community. Some volunteers have been there for longer than 15 years, while some have gotten involved much more recently. CCS is always looking for more volunteers at The Exchange, as with increased demand comes increased work that needs to be done.

There's a list on CCS' website that explains the items it most needs for The Exchange, and if anyone's ever not sure of what to bring, gift cards are great as they allow families with different health or dietary restrictions to shop for food themselves.

Families of all kinds come to The Exchange. Last month, a Ukrainian refugee family came to The Exchange for food support and Kupriianova was able to be of extra help.

“I'm Ukrainian and I speak Ukrainian… I helped them with their English a little bit. This family then went on to get registered with CCS and enrolled in our English classes; they had assistance with finding their first job in Canada,” said Kupriianova. “Their journey is just starting, but CCS was able to step up for them through food support, job support and English language support.”

No matter who they are or where they are from, Kupriianova said the Season of Hope campaign is all about Caledon residents and businesses stepping up to help out their Caledon neighbours in need.

“Leaving no one behind — it's a big task and it's a task for togetherness. We can't do it without support,” said Kupriianova. “Underneath all the beauty and abundance that Caledon has to offer, it's sometimes not very obvious how many families are struggling.”