Joe Drago, president of the Inner-City Home of Sudbury said the staff at the emergency food bank have had a range of emotions this past weekend.
On the night of Nov. 24, Inner-City Home was celebrating a successful food drive at the Sudbury Wolves game. Then Nov. 26, they suffered a break-in that left their building in need of repairs, equipment needing replacements, a new security system, but also, left the staff very concerned this holiday season.
“They just went into the office, they kicked in the door and the glass and went through the back door,” said Drago, calling the act “a malicious ploy” because the alleged thieves didn’t steal food. “I thought if they were hungry, they would break in and want something to eat. But it was destruction they wanted.”
Drago said the break-in cost them their phones, both landline and mobile, as well as all the computers and cash in the office.
The laptop taken contained confidential client information, as well as donor information.
He took to Facebook to explain the predicament. A post from Drago on the Inner City Home’s page said the break in caused them concern that “we have to raise funds over such ridiculous antics.”
“Our priority is to feed needy families and now being forced to spend money for unnecessary repairs on loss of equipment prevents us from buying food that is required to feed families.”
A new steel door and security system were installed the same day, but Drago told Sudbury.com the issue is now bringing the home back to where it was. “And when we're spending money like we now have to, that's money that could be used to buy food.”
Drago told Sudbury.com that in his almost four years as president, he hasn’t seen anything like the break-in, or the need the Inner-City Home is currently facing.
When he began, he said, there were 32 households using the service per day. Now, that is upwards of 75.
Drago said many of them are first-time users of the food bank, including newcomers to Sudbury.
“We had people from Nigeria that have only been here a couple of days and they don't want to come in for food, but they have no choice,” he said. “They're hungry and they have no money to spare and they're embarrassed even to tell you that.”
But he said more often than not, the newcomers remember how they were helped, and return the favour.
“We have one gal who is helping us as a volunteer now,” he said. “She came in for food once, and now she's a volunteer who has been coming regularly every week.”
But Drago said they are getting more and more first timers every week.
That’s why this break-in and required equipment and security repairs hurt them so much. The food bank can actually bring in more food with monetary donations than they can with food donations.
“For every dollar that we obtain in cash, we can buy $3 of food,” said Drago. “So if you give us $1, we have the purchasing power for $3.”
And that is how you can help the Inner City Home of Sudbury rebuild and help their households get through the holiday season.
If you would like to support the Inner City Home of Sudbury, you can visit their website at innercityhome.com
