Industry groups team up for inaugural volunteer event

Volunteers from Sarnia industry organizations teamed up to sort and serve food at the Inn of the Good Shepherd Tuesday.

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About 40 people from eight companies turned out for the inaugural Industry Takeover Day, said Tracy Krull with event organizer Bluewater Association for Safety, Environment and Sustainability (BASES).

Different refineries and industrial companies, she said, typically hold their own food drives independently for the inn — a charity that runs a food bank, soup kitchen, homeless shelters and other programs for people in need.

Communications officials from BASES and the companies meet regularly, and some with Imperial Oil recently suggested co-ordinating this year’s efforts to make a bigger impact, Krull said, noting Tuesday’s turnout also included contractors and union halls.

“It’s been amazing,” Krull said of the response, noting hopes are to expand the event in years to come.

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“It’s really overwhelming to see how many other volunteers there are, what it takes to make all of the wheels turn and all of this happen,” she said, adding she was also impressed to see how many other donations were arriving.

How much food the co-ordinated Industry Takeover Day drive delivered was still being determined early Tuesday afternoon, she said.

“But there’s been quite a hefty response,” she said, noting multiple vehicles with multiple pallets had arrived.

“This is our busy time here at the Inn of the Good Shepherd,” said volunteer co-ordinator Lynn LeFaive, calling the help extraordinary.

Typically the inn needs 20 to 30 volunteers a day, she said.

“Having these extra teams come in today, serve the soup kitchen meal, do the sorting in the warehouse, bring in food donations, it is a blessing,” she said.

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Donations generally have been down at the food bank, while demand has been rising amid high rents and food costs, she said, calling the need “astronomical.”

More than 26,280 kilograms of food is needed per month, she said.

Meals via the soup kitchen at 115 John St. are served 365 days a year from 1-2 pm, she said, noting typically 90 to 120 people get in line.

Turkey dinner will be served at the same time Christmas Day, she said.

“Anybody can come in.”

And some 570 families have signed up for gifts via the organization’s Adopt-a-Family program, she said. All have been sponsored.

Everyone who applied “should be receiving something this Christmas,” she said.

Donors were dropping off gifts Tuesday, and a time was set aside for recipients to pick them up, she said.

Volunteers were helping receive the donations and assisting people picking them up, she said.

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