A company new to the Welland area has made a big donation to help keep Community Care patrons and staff safe during the busy holiday season.
Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold CEO Betty-Lou Souter says CNTNR has donated a retrofitted shipping container for the organization to use through the pandemic.
"It's really important for everyone to know that they've been extremely generous. Not a penny from Community Care went into this - this container is significant." She explains. "People will be coming up - and it's temporary, it's only during COVID. [People] will come up and register, we have kiosks at either end and then we'll put their food orders together and then we'll be distributing out the window and they can take them away. There's no direct contact so everybody is safe."
This comes as Community Care is seeing a surge in demand as the pandemic continues.
Souter says they are seeing a 25 percent increase in people above the age of 65 reaching out for help.
She also expresses concern about what 2021 will bring as they are still experiencing an increase in people who have recently lost their jobs.
The Great Holiday Food Drive Express is coming up on December 11th.
More details will come out closer to the event.