Forty years ago, the emphasis for Pelham Cares was driving people to medical appointments and other errands, not addressing food insecurity issues. But when Covid-19 hit, everything changed, said Board President Greg Lewis.
“Our biggest effort currently as a board of directors is strategically looking at how we are going to manage this explosion in growth in need, and how it affects our business model related to funding, staffing, and facilities. It's unprecedented. We have experienced over 200 percent growth in new clients, and over 60 percent growth in visits to the office,” said Lewis.
The Pelham Cares clientele these days is a mix of longtime residents of Pelham, plus an influx of new families to the area, including immigrants and students, all facing food security challenges. There are plenty of economic reasons for the increased need for the organization’s services, said Lewis.
“Some people are losing their jobs, while others are working two jobs, but it’s just not enough with our high housing prices and general cost of living. In past years, clients would come in because they just needed a little help between paycheques, but the need now is much more ongoing.”
Pelham Cares commenced operation in 1983, spearheaded by then-Mayor Eric Bergenstein and a group of citizens from local churches and service organizations. The first food drive was held in 1990, led by local businessman Gerry Berkhout, who ran the event for 25 years. The organization has been located at 191 Hwy 20 East in Fonthill since 2014, allowing it to better store and distribute food and other supplies. In 2022, Pelham Cares joined Feed Niagara, a group of ten Niagara food banks sharing resources and adhering to strict health and safety standards.
A recent rebranding of the Pelham Cares logo demonstrates the way the organization is evolving after 40 years, said Lewis, who grew up in Toronto, attended Western University in London, and then joined the workforce. He and his wife and two daughters moved to Pelham in 2001.
“My background is in sales and marketing, and I worked with a variety of consumer packaged goods companies throughout my career,” he said. “I retired from that line of work, and dabbled in banking and real estate for a while, but I’ve been officially retired now for seven or eight years. My focus these days is on volunteer work.”
We don’t want to deter people, so it is essentially an honour system
Lewis made annual donations to the Pelham Cares food drives since his arrival in the town, and served on the library board for almost a decade.
“That really gave me a taste for giving back to the community, and applying my business skills in a non-profit area, he said. “I started out at the grassroots level as a Pelham Cares volunteer, and not long after I joined the board of directors. Six months later, there was an opportunity to assume the role of president as we were going through some changes, and I thought that the time was right to take on a leadership role.”
Pelham Cares does not apply a means test or require any financial information of client families, said Lewis.
“Concern was expressed that some people in need may shy away out of embarrassment if they had to disclose their financial plight,” he said. “We don’t want to deter people, so it is essentially an honour system. We are confident that the vast majority of people, if they're coming to us for help, they really need the assistance. All we require is proof of residency in Pelham.”
Relocation to a bigger facility is another issue which is on the radar of Lewis and his board.
“With this pattern of growth, there is no way that we can stay here at our present site on Highway 20 long-term,” said Lewis. “We're close to the max now. We've got an amazing team here that have done everything they can to make this facility as efficient as possible, but the reality is it's an older house with limited parking, not a purpose-built food bank facility. It's a challenge. We’ve staggered times for food pickups and expanded our hours to allow more opportunities in the week for people to come, but we are quickly outgrowing the current space.”
Building a new site from scratch is likely not an affordable option, so the board is investigating partnering with a business in town, or perhaps even the Town of Pelham.
“We're really just starting to look at this. The Town is aware of our needs,” said Lewis. “It’s both great and terrible that we’re still in business 40 years later, and expanding our services. Through our food bank association with Feed Niagara, we now get pallets of frozen foods, and have recently acquired a walk-in freezer. Some Pelham Cares donors were actually former clients. One fellow told us, ‘Two years ago, I had nothing, and you helped me out. I’m back on my feet now, and employed, so here's my way to say thank you,’ and he gives us a donation. It’s an incredible testament to the good work we’re doing, literally changing lives.”
When he is not logging hours with Pelham Cares, Lewis and his wife both enjoy travel in their retirement, along with the occasional game of pickleball.
“We’ve just returned from the Bay of Fundy area of New Brunswick, and are planning a trip to Ireland. We're also doing some exploring in Canada.”
For more information about Pelham Cares, and opportunities to volunteer and donate, go to www.pelhamcares.org
