Getting active is helping fuel local families in need.
In August, Lake Shore Gold, a subsidiary of Pan American Silver, held the Gold Digger's 5K Challenge. For every five kilometres employees and their families walked, biked or ran, the company purchased a Good Food Box for a family in need.
In 13 days, occupational health nurse Laurie Dagg-Labine said over 1,300 kilometres were logged. It equates to a donation of $5,420 to Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins (ACT) for 271 Good Food Box donations.
Today, Dagg-Labine and occupational health summer student Ayshia Jones were at Covenant United Church to help ACT volunteers pack up the donations.
The challenge, explained Dagg-Labine, stemmed from a health and wellness program the company started in June. They offered a couch to 5K initiative, and beginner yoga through Zoom.
"We are essential workers so we have been working right through the pandemic and we wanted to have something that offered some health and wellness initiatives when gyms and the fitness facilities were closed and something that everybody can access with their family," she said.
"Coming with that we also know that being essential workers we’ve been able to work throughout the pandemic and it’s important for us as an organization to continue to give back and this is one of the ways we could recognize how fortunate we were to continue to work every day and give back to other families who are struggling a bit in the community."
By working with community partners, ACT executive director Jennifer Vachon said the large food boxes will go to families who need them the most.
“It’s a pretty beautiful partnership and collaboration coming out of a wellness challenge to be able to offer fresh produce to people who are in need of it,” she said.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased interest in the Good Food Box program from people buying it, and from people needing it.
“Purchases of Good Food Boxes have skyrocketed since the pandemic started,” she said.
Anyone can purchase one of the boxes of fresh produce. When signing up online, Vachon noted you can also offer to pay for someone in need.
Through partnerships with the food banks, and Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board, donated boxes are passed along to people that they serve.
“What we hear from those partners is that these Good Food Boxes are especially needed now. Fresh produce has always been a need, food insecurity has always been an issue in Timmins, but absolutely there are some families that are struggling even more now than they were prior to the pandemic,” said Vachon.
