Weekly meals for elderly neighbors in Ottawa

Since 2023, our volunteer team has run the Harvest Pantry every Thursday from the back of the mosque courtyard. We started with 28 families, and now we feed 217 each week. Donations have dropped by about 31% this harvest gap, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 11 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Ottawa market and keep every receipt. Each $50 feeds a family of four for a week. All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs. Where the $2,050 goes: • Refrigeration and electricity: $360 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $400 • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $1,290 Thank you for reading my story. - Gilles