A new fundraising initiative at Stratford House of Blessing will compliment a popular existing one at the local food bank.
The Ride for Refuge is a national event on Oct. 5 that is being held in Stratford this year.
It features a run or walk component at various distances, followed by a lunch.
Eva Hayes from Stratford House of Blessing told MyStratfordNow the local food bank is always looking for new ways to fundraise.
“It’s exciting, something different for us, we’ve never done something like this before.”
Organizers are looking for teams to sign up and they can do so at the Stratford House of Blessing website. There are 2.5K or 5K walk options or 10K and 20K bike options.
Volunteers are also being recruited to help .
The new-to-Stratford event is relatively close to the food bank’s annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, Oct. 28 to Nov. 1.
It features hand-crafted, hand-painted bowls at a cost of $30. There is also a silent auction all week.
“Some of them are absolutely stunning.”
Hayes said Stratford House of Blessing has an average of 952 visits per month.
From January to July of this year, they have helped 8,380 adults and 2,725 children.
“With the rising cost of food and increasing numbers coming to the food bank we are looking for additional ways to raise funds.”
Hayes said the number of visits to the food bank are still high, and the organization has found that even two working parents in one home are in need of assistance.
