Dear Community Members:

With growing concerns around COVID-19, St. Thomas Elgin Food Bank wanted to provide you with an update on our response to date and our commitment to our community moving forward. The health and safety of our staff, volunteers, and visitors is of the utmost importance and we are following the lead of our local and Canadian public health agencies during this important time.
We want to ensure the food bank remains a safe and comfortable environment for our visitors and, as such, are doing the following:
– The food bank continues to monitor developments related to COVID-19 daily as well as local public health protocols and recommendations
Our food bank is in regular communication with Feed Ontario, our provincial food banking representative, for ongoing updates
– Our staff and volunteers must provide proof of vaccination, and visitors are being encouraged to educate and take care of themselves and practice effective hand washing and good respiratory hygiene.
– Regular cleaning protocols are in place to ensure a clean and hygienic workplace – with extra attention being paid to surfaces in public areas of our facility.
– Hand sanitizer and soap for hand washing are always available for staff, volunteers and visitors to use frequently.
– Staff and volunteers are being encouraged to monitor their own health and use good judgement when experiencing flu like symptoms by seeking medical attention and not coming to the food bank.
– We have changed from a shopping model to a hamper model to minimize time spent at the food bank
Please know that we are doing our part to ensure the community remains safe and healthy, while continuing to provide essential services to those in need. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide ongoing updates to the community, as needed.
Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Karen M. McDade
Manager of Public Relations & Administration
St. Thomas Elgin Food Bank