Written by In our neighbourhood, the Clementine Food Pantry has now been operating for almost three years, assisting residents living in Clementine Towers, an Ottawa Community Housing apartment for seniors. Rising food prices continue to hurt seniors, like many other segments of our society. However, the need for food at this Pantry is especially great because many of these senior residents are physically unable to get to and from the Heron Emergency Food Centre.
Clementine Towers resident Cathy Hamilton founded this Pantry with the kind assistance of Ottawa Community Housing. Located on the main floor of Clementine Towers, Cathy and her team of resident volunteers do all the work necessary to accept, store, and distribute food donations to needy seniors living there.
If you are in a position to help, Cathy is asking for the community’s assistance to help feed these impoverished seniors. The Pantry’s highest needs are for staples like bread, milk, eggs, potatoes, pasta, tuna, coffee, and also fresh vegetables and fruit which are harder for residents to get.
HOW TO DONATE:
Food:
- drop-offs can be accepted on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm, but special arrangements can be made if needed;
- to ensure there is a volunteer who can meet you, please call 613-262-6695 or e-mail Cathy Hamilton at Chloeandrhys76@gmail.com to arrange a time when you will come to do a food drop-off;
- the drop-off location is at the rear door in the parking lot at the back of the Clementine Towers, whose address is 1455 Clementine Boulevard in Ottawa – Cathy or one of her dedicated volunteers, will meet you there.
Please reach out to Cathy – every little bit helps!
Financial donations:
- the Pantry is sponsored by the Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO), a registered charitable organization (107987208 RR 0001);
- by credit card: online donations can be made on the SPCO’s Canada Helps website https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/social-planning-council-of-ottawa-carleton/ selecting Clementine Food Pantry as the beneficiary fund in the section where it says “Apply your donation to a fund set up by this charity”. A tax receipt is immediately e-mailed back by Canada Helps;
- by cheque: make cheques payable to the Social Planning Council of Ottawa, indicate Clementine Food Pantry in the memo section, and send to 815 St. Laurent Blvd, Suite 220, Ottawa, ON K1K 3A7;
- by cash: please do not send cash by mail, contact SPCO at 613-236-9300, or call Cathy Hamilton at 613-262-6695, or you can e-mail Cathy Hamilton at Chloeandrhys76@gmail.com to arrange drop-off;
- when donating by cheque or cash, if you require a receipt for charitable purposes, always include donor name, address and e-mail (to faciliate an electronic receipt).
Thank you for supporting your neighbours in need!
SEEKING VOLUNTEER DRIVERS FOR OCCASIONAL FOOD PICK-UPS:
The Clementine Food Pantry is looking for volunteers from the Heron Park community to do some pick-ups of food donations. There are occasions when the Pantry gets a line on a food donation (boxes or bins) and, while it has some outside capacity, the Pantry does not have sufficient external drivers to avail itself of some of these opportunities. Specifically, the Pantry is looking for one or two drivers that, using their own vehicles, might do one pick-up every second week or monthly, as a possible example of frequency. Cathy and her team of volunteers would be so happy to get this help from anyone in the community (like retired persons or students, or those looking to do some charitable work).
If you can help, please call 613-262-6695 or e-mail Cathy Hamilton at Chloeandrhys76@gmail.com.
Heron Park 