A new initiative by the Rotary Club of Innisfail will ensure many families in need will receive previously unavailable non-food items in Innisfail & Area Food Bank hampers, including this year at Christmastime.
The new items will include hand bar soap, men's and women's deodorant and shampoo.
The service club's Local Projects Committee approved the initiative during a business meeting last September.
“Some of our projects are bigger and this one may be a little less from a monetary point of view, but it's important to the people who receive those items,” said Rotary member Bill Hoppins, who sits on the committee.
He said historically the service club has always donated to the food bank at Christmastime but it recently learned that if cash was given the agency could only buy food, and not other essential items such as soap and deodorant.
The committee agreed to donate $250 every three months of the year for the project, with the first instalment in November just as the Christmas season begins. The idea is to work with local merchants to get as much product as possible with the money.
“They (food bank) expressed to us a need for those items and we put our heads together in the club and at the food bank, and came up with the idea of approaching local businesses that sell such products and say to them, ‘We are going to buy $250 worth every quarter of these non-food products. Would you be interested in giving us your absolute lowest best price so we can stretch our $250 as far as possible?'” said Hoppins.
Rotary started with Kevin's nofrills on Nov. 24 and over the course of the year it hopes to approach other businesses that offer the same non-food products the food bank is requesting.
“We will just keep working with the food bank, and if they say they have got enough deodorant and now need tinfoil or plastic wrap, we will work with the merchants,” said Hoppins.
He said it was not immediately known how much product Rotary was able to get for $250 but he said four boxes were completely full. He said the service club is planning on putting small Rotary stickers on the products, which will enable a counting of the products.
While Rotary has committed to give $1,000 over the year it may adjust its donations to twice a year as a way to spread out the products over a longer period of time
“It depends how long those supplies last at the food bank,” said Hoppins. “We know we will spend $1,000 over the year but it might not be every three months. It might be every six months.”
Bill Hoppins
"Some of our projects are bigger and this one may be a little less from a monetary point of view, but it's important to the people who receive those items," said Rotary member Bill Hoppins, who sits on the committee.
