A new Salvation Army food co-op hopes not only to help people out in the short term, but also out of the situation they are in.

Donna Acre, community ministries co-ordinator with the Salvation Army, is heading up the creation of the Self Help Food Co-op. It differs from a food bank in it will be open more hours and require participants to volunteer for the Salvation Army four hours per month and pay a monthly fee $8.

'We're trying to build their self esteem and get them back out in the workforce,' she said.

Acre explained volunteering alone should help build self esteem. Beyond that, the Salvation Army is going to offer optional programs such as teaching how to cook, how to cook on a budget and offer clothes if a person has a job interview. Acre sees these programs as particularly helping the large number of single mothers whose needs are not presently met by the community.

Acre knows first hand about how welfare can drive down your self esteem. She was a single mother with three kids on it for several years. In many cases, she said the mothers go from being at home to having a baby. They don't know how to budget, how to make a grocery list or many other domestic tasks.

'When I've been talking to young girls in the last month, they've been excited about doing this,' Acre said.

The food co-op plan was the brainchild of Pastor Ron Ferris. While there are dozens of food banks in Ontario, there are only a few food co-ops. Ferris got the idea when he visited one of the existing co-ops.

Participants will get food by going through Salvation Army Family Services, which is located above the Thrift Store. Once enrolled, they will get food from the co-op, which is located below the store. Specific days will be set aside when food will be available.

Salvation Army volunteers have been busy recently stocking the shelves for the food co-op opening. Freezers in the basement are filled with meat. A bright yellow barrel will be put in Sobey's for donations. Acre is hopeful the co-op will also be able to locate barrels in A & P and Zehrs.

This isn't the only change at the Salvation Army. The Thrift Store is closing on April 22 for renovations. It will reopen on May 3 at 10 a.m. with a new look. The goal is for the food co-op to open at the same time.

The co-op does not want to compete with the existing food bank.

'It's not to override the food bank, it's to complement what they're doing,' Acre said.

In fact the Salvation Army has been providing food for people as long as she can remember. Acre has been associated with the Salvation Army for 20 years.

Helping Hand Food Bank board of directors chairman Bob Smith said the food bank is well established and has been operating continuously since its inception.

'I have no worries the support for the food bank will go on,' he said.

One of the reasons the food bank was initially established was the various churches said there was no co-ordinated effort for the distribution of food in town.

'We've attempted many times to bring the Salvation Army on board, and at times a member of the Salvation Army has been on our board, but they've continually had a change in the persons running the organization,' he said. 'Every time there's been a change there's been a new idea come forward. The food bank has been consistent in what we're doing. We've seen many people from the Salvation Army come in for food.'

Printed wih permission from Tillsonburg News
By Jeff Helsdon - Staff Writer
Friday April 14, 2006