Sunrisers pitching in with annual Fill A Crib campaign

It can happen to all of us, please don’t kid yourself, says Dedee Flietstra, executive director of the Infant Food Bank.

Last year, the Infant Food Bank, in conjunction with the Pregnancy Care Centre, assisted more than 1,000 families, providing them with basic infant necessities and supplies. This year will be no different. The perception that only families in a substance abuse situation utilize the centre’s services is untrue, said Flietstra.

“We are seeing nurses and teachers, single-parent families who are not able to find full-time work use our facilities,” she said. “We have a families who are dealing with cancer and unable to care for their sick loved ones and work at the same time use the facilities.”

New Canadians and likely refugees coming in from Syria will depend on the centre to get their families up and running.

“They are just stuck for a few months,” Flietstra said.

Yes, there are families who have been on the system for a while, but she is seeing more families who just need that extra push to give them a running start. Either way, last year Sudbury citizens have heard the call and have raised $96,000, of which $60,000 was in cash and the remaining amount in in-kind donations.

When the Rotary Sunrisers heard the plea three years ago, they embarked on a campaign to Fill the Crib. This project aims to have businesses and individuals purchase cribs for $250 and place them at their office or residence and have the community, friends and family and fellow workers fill it with infant necessities such as diapers, clothing, toiletries, and the like.

Monetary donations are also welcome as some of the funds will be used to organize parenting classes.

The Sunrisers are very appreciative of Petryna Advertising and their unwavering support of this worthwhile project.

Each day, the Infant food bank assists approximately 40 families with daily supply needs such as diapers, mattresses, baby gates, cribs right down to diapers, baby pull ups, baby food in jars and formula.

“These kinds of donations helps us through the year because so many families use our services,” Fliestra said. “Really, this is a huge, huge help!”

This can be a difficult time of year for many families. Help us brighten their lives.

If you are interested in purchasing a crib or helping with a donation, please contact DeDee Flietstra at the Infant Food Bank or look for a crib to fill nearest you. Better yet, buy a crib from the Rotary Sunrisers and help us fill it with donations.

Let’s make someone’s Christmas in Sudbury special.

Kelly Louiseize is a member of the Rotary Club of Sudbury Sunrisers.