NEWS RELEASE
SEASONS CAMBRIDGE
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The holiday spirit filled Seasons Cambridge Retirement Community as residents, team members, and their loved ones donated to its annual Holiday Food Drive, which benefited Cambridge Self-Help Foodbank. The heartfelt initiative, which ran from December 2 to 15, brought together community members to combat food insecurity.
As part of their holiday celebrations this December the Seasons Cambridge team hosted a Holiday Food Drive Bingo, where residents donated food items. The event also included employees from local businesses who came in to donate food items and cash.
"We at Seasons Cambridge feel fortunate to be able to provide support to our community's local food bank. Seasons annual Holiday Food Drive is a cherished tradition allowing us to make a real impact." said Matt Lehnen, General Manager. "We are truly grateful for the incredible support from our residents, their families, and our dedicated team members. It's heartwarming to see everyone come together to make the holiday season brighter for those in need."
In March 2024, there were over 2 million visits to food banks in Canada — the highest number in history — representing a six percent increase compared to 2023 and a 90 percent increase compared to 2019. While seniors only represent 8% of food bank users, this proportion has increased significantly compared to pre-pandemic. 9.9 per cent of food bank visitors receive a pension income. Lower-income seniors, including racialized and Indigenous seniors who are more likely to rely on public pensions as their primary source of income, are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of rapid food and fuel inflation.
Earlier this year, Seasons Retirement Communities in Alberta and Ontario hosted the 'One Can Make A Difference Challenge.' All homes collected non-perishable goods to fight food insecurity in their local communities. Food Banks Canada developed a meals metric stating the average weight of a single meal as approximately one pound. This year, Seasons collected over 9,500 cans of non-perishable goods company-wide, equating to almost 3,000 meals for those in need.
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