CENTRE WELLINGTON – The Centre Wellington Food Bank’s Annual General Meeting was held Thursday night at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
The evening brought together supporters, partners, and volunteers to celebrate the organization’s accomplishments and plans for the future.
But the evening’s highlight was also a heartfelt celebration of Jackie Andrews, Chair of the Board of Directors.
After 18 dedicated years, Andrews is set to retire, and last night the food bank presented her with the inaugural Jackie Andrews Lifetime Community Impact Award.
photo by Austin Cardinell: Shelley Spies presents Board Chair Jackie Andrews with the first “Jackie Andrews Lifetime Community Impact Award”
Andrews says it’s been an honour to serve the community.
The CW Food Bank says, “Jackie has been a driving force behind every major transformation at the Food Bank. From expanding into a neighbouring unit and securing a grant to build our state-of-the-art kitchen, to improving our cold storage infrastructure, her vision and hard work have shaped our operations as they are today. She has helped design and deliver meaningful programs like the Food Explorers cooking classes for children and seniors, holiday Hamper Days, and the adaptive safety measures that allowed us to remain open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Andrews says she is so proud of how the food bank has evolved over the years.
“Jackie, thank you for your leadership, your unwavering kindness, and the legacy of compassion you leave behind. You will be deeply missed by all of us at the Food Bank and throughout Centre Wellington,” the Food Bank said in its 2024 Impact Award.
The AGM also provided statistics from the Food Bank in 2024:
Donations:
- 250,000 pounds of food received and distributed
- 1.1 million value of food received and distributed
- +50 food drives by the community
- 85 partnerships that support all aspects of the food bank’s programs
Food and Kitchen Program:
- 1,560 containers of egg salad
- 1,728 roasted half chickens
- 2,340 pounds of roasted potatoes
- 200 containers each pickles and soup
People Served:
- 1,049 individuals access the food banks monthly grocery program
- 315 new clients (30% of all clients)
- 721 unique adults served
- 328 unique children served
Program Impact:
- 210 children supported by the Angel Program
- 252 families supported by the Summer Gift Card Program
- 678 individuals supported by the Holiday Gift Card Program
- 342 kids provided with 9 weeks of snacks during summer break
During the meeting, the Food Bank also recognized many donors and community partners to the Food Bank, including The Grand at 101, for our ongoing support with the Annual Sock Drive, which collected over 1,000 socks this past Christmas.
photo: Austin Cardinell accepts Award of Appreciation on behalf of The Grand at 101 at the Centre Wellington Food Bank AGM
