Patricia Marsden-Dole
The walkathon for the Centretown Emergency Food Centre remains a virtual event again this October because of the health restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
The event went virtual last October and supporters were asked to walk separately for the annual fundraiser. Organizers plan to do this again for the upcoming Walk for the Centre on Sunday, October 3. Event organizers will encourage walkers to choose their own path while donating online.
Last year’s Walk for the Centre was a welcome success. People walked with their family, or in their bubbles, on special routes of their own choosing. Walkers were encouraged to decorate and carry colourful personal posters to support the walkathon and to submit photos of their walk later. Organizers offered prizes donated by generous local neighbourhood grocery stores and plan to do the same for this year’s walk.
The Virtual Walk for the Centre runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on October 3. It offers several options: People can choose their own two or four kilometre walk in their own neighbourhood, on their favourite trail, or on their treadmill at home! The traditional route for the walkathon in past years–the lovely path behind Parliament Hill–is also a good choice.
The Centretown Emergency Food Centre at 507 Bank Street serves a large central catchment area including Centretown, the Glebe, Old Ottawa South and Old Ottawa East with a large population of students, seniors, recent immigrants and rooming house occupants among its clients.
The Food Centre’s 70-plus volunteers also include a number of people outside its catchment area. Twenty-two neighbourhood churches are members of the Centretown Churches Social Action Committee (CCSAC), the parent organization of the Food Centre, who together with some local sponsors, make each year’s walkathon a successful community event.
The economic consequences of the COVID-19 shutdown have been especially hard for lower-income residents, while pandemic guidelines mean many are isolated as well. The generous volunteers and staff at the Food Centre were able to keep operating within the limits of public health restrictions. The Centre has been offering a scaled-back service with pre-bagged groceries since the pandemic started in March 2020 but it is looking forward to returning to a more personalized service as soon as possible.
Due to the pandemic, organizers are encouraging people to register and fundraise online. They can sponsor an individual, or a team, or sign up themselves to walk and secure their own set of sponsors, even if it’s only them and their own family. It is also possible to simply donate and not walk, if desired. They can ask for a pledge form or make a donation by visiting the CCSAC website (www.centretownchurches.org). For cash donations on October 3, there will be a drop-off site for donations and pledge forms.
Detailed information will be available on the CCSAC website and Facebook pages. Organizers are also asking friends of the Emergency Food Centre to promote the walk on their social media sites and to bring a poster on the day of the walk.
The theme of Neighbours Helping Neighbours means even more help is needed in troubled times. Please register for the Walk for the Centre to support the Centretown Emergency Food Centre.