Barrhaven Food Cupboard (Ottawa, Canada)
What comes to mind when you think of Barrhaven?
Life in the ‘burbs? Big houses? Hockey practice? Keeping up with the Joneses? Two kids, a minivan, an SUV, and a dog? Probably all that and more - Barrhaven the affluent, rapidly growing but still close-knit Ottawa community. But there’s more to Barrhaven than that. New infrastructure, businesses and housing developments hide the fact that there are families unable to live paycheque to paycheque - unable to even put food on the table, in the midst of so much wealth and all the trappings of success.
That’s where the Barrhaven Food Cupboard comes in. It’s a service provided for Barrhaven residents in need: an emergency food bank run by over eighty local community volunteers. It provides food for families in need during the year and at Christmas provides holiday hampers to those who request them. Started in the late 1980’s by Barrhaven United Church in response to the community’s need, the Food Cupboard has become a vital and universally recognized source of help for those facing difficult times. In recent years it has helped, on average, one family a day in the Barrhaven area, and enjoys the help of the Barrhaven community through schools, grocery store donation boxes and donations received at the Barrhaven Santa Claus parade, as well as in other ways. Those who are in need receive several days of food, once a month. Volunteers are always welcome - check out their website at www.barrhavenunited.org or call 613 825-4505, extension 2 and leave a message.
