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WHO WE ARE

Monetary and food donations help us to nourish local families by providing groceries through our food service program. Being the food distribution centre for this area, we also donate surplus provisions to other organizations and churches that provide hot meals for those in need.


When the Helping Hand Food Bank started in 1991 cans, boxes and non-perishables were staples of our operations. Today, the reality is much different, 68% of all food we distribute is fresh or frozen.


This shift – from boxes and cans to fresh and frozen – means we have had to change how we handle food donations. With your help, we are now able to provide healthier food options to those in our community struggling to put food on the table; But along with the fresh and frozen foods we always provided canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce, canned pasta, peanut butter, tuna, cereal, crackers, beans, rice, stew and diced tomatoes.

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Helping Hand Mission Statement:

To provide nourishment and hope to those we serve, and an opportunity for our community to share.

Our Mandate

  1. To act as a front-line agency assisting those struggling to make ends meet

  2. To act as a food warehouse and to work with other agencies that assist people in need

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Our Ethics

We are members of Feed Ontario and Food Banks Canada. We have signed and adhere to the code of ethics of both organizations.

OUR OBJECTIVES

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The Helping Hand Food Bank has nine major objectives:

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  1. To distribute food and food-related products to those requiring assistance

  2. To accept donations of food and food-related products

  3. To accept donations of money or other property

  4. To collect, inspect, and store items for distribution

  5. To co-operate with other organizations that have similar objectives

  6. To serve as a common contact point for various and diverse segments of the Tillsonburg community

  7. To reduce the stress on social service agencies and churches by providing co-ordination and support in the distribution of food

  8. To ensure that support and information are consistently available, to help guarantee the appropriateness of emergency programs

  9. To work with other groups towards a solution to the problem of poverty in Canada

AGENCIES WE HELP

We help other groups and agencies:
Other food banks, the Salvation Army, St. Paul’s United Church community suppers, Avondale United Church community suppers, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Faith Presbyterian Church community suppers.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Anyone can contribute food to feed their hungry neighbours!
If you have a donation of non-perishable food for the Helping Hand Food Bank, you can drop it off at the food bank during our hours of operation.


To avoid waste or rejection of your donation, please refrain from donating items past their expiry date, vitamins or over the counter medications (eg. Tylenol, cold medicine, etc.), home baked goods, or food prepared in a home environment (such as personally wrapped meats, opened food items, or food not in its original container/packaging). If the food being donated is something that you would not be willing to eat yourself or is past its best-before date, please consider donating something else.

The Ethical Foodbanking Code

Food Banks Canada, its Members (provincial associations), Affiliate Member food banks and associated agencies believe that everyone in Canada has the right to physical and economic access, at all times, to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences.

As an Affiliate Member of Food Banks Canada, The Helping Hand Food Bank will:

  1. Provide food and other assistance to those needing help regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, income source, age or mental or physical ability.

  2. Treat all those who access services with the utmost dignity and respect.

  3. Implement best practices in the proper and safe storage and handling of food.

  4. Respect the privacy of those served, and will maintain the confidentiality of personal information.

  5. Not sell donated food.

  6. Acquire and share food in a spirit of cooperation with other food banks and food programs.

  7. Strive to make the public aware of the existence of hunger, and of the factors that contribute to it.

  8. Recognize that food banks are not a viable long-term response to hunger, and devote part of their activities to reducing the need for food assistance.

  9. Represent accurately, honestly and completely their respective mission and activities to the larger community.

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