CUPE 543 joins farmers, grocers and food banks to ensure 600 families in need have dinner with all the trimmings
This Friday, October 10, in conjunction with local food banks, the City of Windsor’s ‘inside workers’ will distribute 500 turkeys and 100 chickens, along with all of the fixings, complete with potatoes, stuffing and gravy, to people in the community who might have had to do without a Thanksgiving dinner.
“When times are difficult, people need to look out for their neighbours, and we’re happy to be able to help out,” said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 543) President Mark Vander Voort.
CUPE 543 has spent the week working with community agencies to assemble hampers for distribution to 11 community food banks. This undertaking required volunteers to divide 2,750 pounds of potatoes, 1,050 pounds of carrots, 1,100 boxes of stuffing, and 1,100 gravy packets into hampers, along with 500 turkeys and 100 chickens.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the help and support we’ve received from so many of our members, as well as from the community,” said Vander Voort.
Thanksgiving hampers will be distributed at 11 locations across the City of Windsor including: Drouillard Place, the Unemployed Help Centre, The Downtown Mission, The Salvation Army, and Windsor Lifeline Outreach.
In addition to thanking CUPE 543 members, and members from CUPE Locals 82 and 3679 who volunteered their time to help out, Vander Voort also thanked local farmers and grocers—particularly, the Windsor and Leamington Real Canadian Superstores and Zehrs Parkway Mall—for their generous donations of food and other hamper items.
For more information, please contact:
Mark Vander Voort, CUPE 543 President, 519-903-5515
Kevin Wilson, CUPE Communications, 416-821-6641