October 07, 2021

Bridgenorth Family's Spooky Display is Gathering Donations for Food Bank

October 07, 2021/ Guest User

The Mitchell family from Bridgenorth has invited the community to tour their spooky Halloween display and drop off donations for the Bridgenorth Food Bank during their visit.

The Mitchell Family hopes to fill the trailer by Halloween, Crystal says donations have already been pouring in from community members. Photo by Angela O’Grady.

Crystal Mitchell, her husband and their five children moved to Bridgenorth from Gamebridge this August.

“Last year we did food bank donations in Gamebridge and did really well,” she said. “So we figured we’d continue what we used to do there.”

The Halloween display stretches across the Mitchell’s 350 foot front lawn, located at 1058 Ward St, Bridgenorth.

Located in the middle of the display is an enclosed trailer, which the Mitchell’s hope will be filled with donations for the Bridgenorth Food Bank by Halloween.

“We love Halloween, the kids love Halloween, it’s our favourite holiday,” said Mitchell. “We just want to share our love of it with everyone and what better way to do that than to help to food bank while we’re at it.”

The display features spiderwebs, ghosts, aliens and a hard-to-miss 12 foot tall skeleton.

Donations can be dropped off at anytime, but the animatronic decorations, lights and effects will only be on from about 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. every Saturday until Halloween.

The Bridgenorth Food Bank runs out of Bridgenorth United Church at 832 Charles St. Clients can pick up food once a month.

While it may seem far away, Mitchell says that when the Halloween decorations come down the Christmas decorations go up.

“We did so well with the Halloween food bank donations last so we thought we’d do it for Christmas too,” she said.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

September 27, 2021

Community Fridge in Peterborough Pops Up To Battle Food Insecurity

September 27, 2021/ Guest User

The fight for food insecurity takes one step forward as volunteers have launched a stocked community fridge that is open to the public in Peterborough.

The Community Fridge fully stocked. Photo Courtesy of Community Fridge PTBO.

The fridge and pantry are located in front of a private residence at the corner of Dublin and Aylmer.

At a community fridge, food is provided by people who drop off fresh fruits and vegetables, unexpired non-perishables, menstruation products, pet food and personal protective equipment. Restaurants can drop off pre-made meals that list all ingredients contained inside.

Community members are encouraged to “leave what you can, take what you need.” Anyone can drop off or take items at any time with no restrictions.

The project models itself on a growing movement of community fridges across the globe including sites in Toronto, Calgary, Kitchener, Hamilton and cities across the USA.

Volunteers have been working towards launching the Peterborough/Nogojiwanong Community Fridge since the winter of 2020.

After unsuccessfully asking several local businesses and organizations to host the fridge on their property, one of the core volunteers named Sunny, agreed to host the fridge on the front lawn of their house.

“The project has only brought smiles to people’s faces,” said Sunny. “Lots of people from the neighbourhood have already been filling up the pantry and fridge space and the past few weeks the only advertising for the fridge is the pantry itself.”

The newly established community fridge is looking for local citizens and businesses to support the project by dropping off fresh food and dried goods. Dedicated volunteers are also needed to help stock and clean the fridge on a regular basis.

For more information or to get involved, click here.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

August 11, 2021

Local Man Andrew Parnell Is On a Mission To End Nation Wide Hunger With Panda Feeds Canada

August 11, 2021/ Guest User

Peterborough local, Andrew Parnell, has his sights set on ending nation wide hunger - and he is going to do it on Instagram.

In early March of 2021 Parnell started the Instagram page PandaFeedsCanada.

The name comes from the nickname ‘Panda Parnell’ given to him in elementary school.

The goal is to gain enough followers to have the ability to present advertisements and sponsorships via the social media platform. Once he is able to do so 100 percent of revenue generated on Instagram will be donated to food shares across the country, he says.

Before he started on this journey a close friend of his passed away and he was laid off from his construction job for the winter.

“I just decided ‘you know what, I need to do something more productive with my time,” Parnell said. “ I figured this was the best way I could possibly make an impact of my community, follow in my parents footsteps and be a hardworking volunteer.”

Parnells parents, Don and Lesley Parnell, spend much of their time volunteering around the community. Lesley represents the Otonabee Ward on City Council and plays a major role in the Festival of Lights. She is a recipient of a Peterborough Volunteer of the Year Award.

Don is a recent inductee into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame having played a major role in the staging of the annual Victoria Day fireworks presentation over Little Lake and serving as a full-time member of the Pedal For Hope support team.

Amanda Shaw from Real Canadian Superstore, Ashlee Aitkins from Kawartha Foodshare and Andrew Parnell from Panda Feeds Canada. Parnell often stands outside of grocery stores accepting monetary and food donations for Kawartha Food Share. Pictures is Aitkins accepting a $1000 donation to Kawartha Food Share on June 10, 2021. Photo courtesy of Panda Feeds Canada.

“Most donations to this point have been my close friends and family really wanting to help out and launch the name Panda Feeds Canada,” said Parnell.

Panda Feeds Canada does not currently accept donations, but Parnell directs those interested in donating to Kawartha Food Share and will celebrate the donor on his Instagram page.

“If a small business wants to make a donation to the Food Share, I can do a little write up and post their business on my page,” he said. “I’m starting small but I’d love to get some bigger companies on board when I gain more followers.”

Panda Feeds Canada also hosts giveaways and raffles on Instagram with any monetary proceeds going directly to the Kawartha Foodshare.

In June Parnell hosted the first annual Panda Feeds Canada Golf Tournament at Keystone Links Golf and Country Club and donated $6100 to Kawartha Food Share.

Parnell presents the Kawartha Food Share with $6100 raised at the first annual Panda Feeds Canada Golf Tournament. Photo courtesy of Panda Feeds Canada.

“I’d love for people to put some energy into this, and encourage their friends to follow us on Instagram,” said Parnell.

While Parnell’s main goal right now is building his following on Instagram to help launch his idea, he hopes if anything he is able to inspire others to pursue their own aspirations.

“Try and make a difference. You might put some hard hours into it but you’ll feel good about what you’ve done, even if you only make a minor change and help one person it’s worth it,” said Parnell. “There’s too much negativity in this world right now so any kindness and compassion that we can put out into the universe is only going to help everyone in the long run.”

To donate to Kawatha Food Share click here. To be featured on Panada Feeds Canada send a screenshot of your donation via direct message.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

July 12, 2021

Kawartha Food Share Receives $5,000 For Reliable Emergency Food Sources

July 12, 2021/ David Tuan Bui

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of REALTORS (PKAR) has donated $5,000 to Kawartha Food Share (KFS) for reliable access to emergency food sources Monday morning.

Ashlee Aitken (left), Kawartha Food Share General Manager and Jon Maxwell (right), PKAR President at the Kawartha Food Share facility with the cheque presentation of $5,000 towards reliable emergency food sources. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The donation will help to fight food insecurity in the community through the KFS programs that help to feed over 8,900 men, women and children each month.

Jon Maxwell, PKAR President brought the $5,000 cheque to Ashlee Aitken, KFS general manager at their facility at Neal Drive.

Aitken says food donations typically diminish over the summer since people typically associate giving with the holidays. KFS receiving this money comes as a nice and welcomed surprise.

“(The money) will all go towards food purchasing,” she said. “This week, we’ll get that money spent and get it to the food banks.”

The $5,000 donation gives KFS $30,000 of purchasing power according to Aitken. Food purchased includes tuna, pasta sauce, canned soup and canned vegetables.

The money spent on food will go towards four meal programs, four City food banks, six housing projects, seven county food banks and over 20 food cupboards across the City & County of Peterborough. Last year their warehouse distributed over $5 million worth of food and emergency care needs.

“As an association, we love to give back to the community that we’re part of”, said Maxwell. “There are so many families struggling to make ends meet. It’s just a great feeling to give back and be part of the solution.”

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The Mitchell family from Bridgenorth has invited the community to tour their spooky Halloween display and drop off donations for the Bridgenorth Food Bank during their visit.

Crystal Mitchell, her husband and their five children moved to Bridgenorth from Gamebridge this August.

“Last year we did food bank donations in Gamebridge and did really well,” she said. “So we figured we’d continue what we used to do there.”

The Halloween display stretches across the Mitchell’s 350 foot front lawn, located at 1058 Ward St, Bridgenorth.

Located in the middle of the display is an enclosed trailer, which the Mitchell’s hope will be filled with donations for the Bridgenorth Food Bank by Halloween.

“We love Halloween, the kids love Halloween, it’s our favourite holiday,” said Mitchell. “We just want to share our love of it with everyone and what better way to do that than to help to food bank while we’re at it.”

The display features spiderwebs, ghosts, aliens and a hard-to-miss 12 foot tall skeleton.

Donations can be dropped off at anytime, but the animatronic decorations, lights and effects will only be on from about 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. every Saturday until Halloween.

The Bridgenorth Food Bank runs out of Bridgenorth United Church at 832 Charles St. Clients can pick up food once a month.

While it may seem far away, Mitchell says that when the Halloween decorations come down the Christmas decorations go up.

“We did so well with the Halloween food bank donations last so we thought we’d do it for Christmas too,” she said.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

The fight for food insecurity takes one step forward as volunteers have launched a stocked community fridge that is open to the public in Peterborough.

The fridge and pantry are located in front of a private residence at the corner of Dublin and Aylmer.

At a community fridge, food is provided by people who drop off fresh fruits and vegetables, unexpired non-perishables, menstruation products, pet food and personal protective equipment. Restaurants can drop off pre-made meals that list all ingredients contained inside.

Community members are encouraged to “leave what you can, take what you need.” Anyone can drop off or take items at any time with no restrictions.

The project models itself on a growing movement of community fridges across the globe including sites in Toronto, Calgary, Kitchener, Hamilton and cities across the USA.

Volunteers have been working towards launching the Peterborough/Nogojiwanong Community Fridge since the winter of 2020.

After unsuccessfully asking several local businesses and organizations to host the fridge on their property, one of the core volunteers named Sunny, agreed to host the fridge on the front lawn of their house.

“The project has only brought smiles to people’s faces,” said Sunny. “Lots of people from the neighbourhood have already been filling up the pantry and fridge space and the past few weeks the only advertising for the fridge is the pantry itself.”

The newly established community fridge is looking for local citizens and businesses to support the project by dropping off fresh food and dried goods. Dedicated volunteers are also needed to help stock and clean the fridge on a regular basis.

For more information or to get involved, click here.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough local, Andrew Parnell, has his sights set on ending nation wide hunger - and he is going to do it on Instagram.

In early March of 2021 Parnell started the Instagram page PandaFeedsCanada.

The name comes from the nickname ‘Panda Parnell’ given to him in elementary school.

The goal is to gain enough followers to have the ability to present advertisements and sponsorships via the social media platform. Once he is able to do so 100 percent of revenue generated on Instagram will be donated to food shares across the country, he says.

Before he started on this journey a close friend of his passed away and he was laid off from his construction job for the winter.

“I just decided ‘you know what, I need to do something more productive with my time,” Parnell said. “ I figured this was the best way I could possibly make an impact of my community, follow in my parents footsteps and be a hardworking volunteer.”

Parnells parents, Don and Lesley Parnell, spend much of their time volunteering around the community. Lesley represents the Otonabee Ward on City Council and plays a major role in the Festival of Lights. She is a recipient of a Peterborough Volunteer of the Year Award.

Don is a recent inductee into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame having played a major role in the staging of the annual Victoria Day fireworks presentation over Little Lake and serving as a full-time member of the Pedal For Hope support team.

“Most donations to this point have been my close friends and family really wanting to help out and launch the name Panda Feeds Canada,” said Parnell.

Panda Feeds Canada does not currently accept donations, but Parnell directs those interested in donating to Kawartha Food Share and will celebrate the donor on his Instagram page.

“If a small business wants to make a donation to the Food Share, I can do a little write up and post their business on my page,” he said. “I’m starting small but I’d love to get some bigger companies on board when I gain more followers.”

Panda Feeds Canada also hosts giveaways and raffles on Instagram with any monetary proceeds going directly to the Kawartha Foodshare.

In June Parnell hosted the first annual Panda Feeds Canada Golf Tournament at Keystone Links Golf and Country Club and donated $6100 to Kawartha Food Share.

“I’d love for people to put some energy into this, and encourage their friends to follow us on Instagram,” said Parnell.

While Parnell’s main goal right now is building his following on Instagram to help launch his idea, he hopes if anything he is able to inspire others to pursue their own aspirations.

To donate to Kawatha Food Share click here. To be featured on Panada Feeds Canada send a screenshot of your donation via direct message.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of REALTORS (PKAR) has donated $5,000 to Kawartha Food Share (KFS) for reliable access to emergency food sources Monday morning.

The donation will help to fight food insecurity in the community through the KFS programs that help to feed over 8,900 men, women and children each month.

Jon Maxwell, PKAR President brought the $5,000 cheque to Ashlee Aitken, KFS general manager at their facility at Neal Drive.

Aitken says food donations typically diminish over the summer since people typically associate giving with the holidays. KFS receiving this money comes as a nice and welcomed surprise.

“(The money) will all go towards food purchasing,” she said. “This week, we’ll get that money spent and get it to the food banks.”

The $5,000 donation gives KFS $30,000 of purchasing power according to Aitken. Food purchased includes tuna, pasta sauce, canned soup and canned vegetables.

The money spent on food will go towards four meal programs, four City food banks, six housing projects, seven county food banks and over 20 food cupboards across the City & County of Peterborough. Last year their warehouse distributed over $5 million worth of food and emergency care needs.

“As an association, we love to give back to the community that we’re part of”, said Maxwell. “There are so many families struggling to make ends meet. It’s just a great feeling to give back and be part of the solution.”

KFS’s first truck was purchased with the help of a PKAR donation over seven years ago.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

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