CAA Does Final Delivery of our Seniors Hampers

Today Port Cares recognized CAA Niagara and its staff that have been volunteering by delivering emergency food hampers to seniors in Port Colborne and Wainfleet since the start of the pandemic.

Every week, once a week, staff would come to the Reach Out Centre and load up their trunks with food hampers to approximately 60 seniors across South Niagara; which totals over 1,000 food boxes delivered since the beginning of the program.

“This is one thing that came out of the pandemic that was truly amazing for us,” says Amanda Upper, Supervisor of the Reach Out Centre at Port Cares. “This program came from seeing the need when we first experienced isolation in 2020; realizing that seniors could use this assistance and persons with disabilities. The past 15 months with CAA Niagara has been an exceptional partnership and really made this possible for us.”

Traditionally, it’s been hard to reach this demographic of seniors who are reluctant to show they need the help by coming to the Reach Out Centre. This program gave them a way to get the help delivered to their doors.
‍

“Our CAA employees are like a family and we like to go out and help other families and do what we can,” says CAA Niagara’s President and CEO,Peter Van Hezewyk. “Port Cares and Port Colborne have been really important to us during the last 15 months and we know there’s a need here and we look forward to helping them out again in the near future in some way or another.”

Staff shared heartfelt stories about their travels through the city while doing their deliveries and they all agreed that it has been a rewarding experience for them during these challenging times. They looked forward to seeing their ‘regulars’ on their route and dropping off the hamper.

“We’re extremely grateful to Peter and his staff at CAA for standing up and helping out at a time when we certainly needed it,” says Christine Clark Lafleur, executive Director at Port Cares. “We couldn’t have done this program without his team and we look forward to working alongside them again in the future.”

Starting in July, the Port Colborne Fire Department will assume the deliveries for the hamper program.

In order for an individual to qualify, they must live within Port Colborne / Wainfleet, and be a senior or person with a disability in a low-income household. To register, simply phone the Reach Out Centre at (905) 835-1914 and press option 1. There is a brief screening and intake to ensure eligibility and create a food bank account. Deliveries are happen weekly, on-going and until further notice.

Special Thanks to CAA Staff Delivery Drivers:

Peter Van Hezewyk

Doug Stones

Marrianne Wilson

Amanda Fletcher

Devon Gribble

Jacqueline Anderson

Jeremy Delacruz

Lisa Boardman

Lois Sarkisian

Erin Clarke

Rachel Golob

Vanessa Friday

Dan Sider

‍

‍