The producers of CJMR 1320 AM radio station were looking for a unique way to mark the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith.
“This year we really wanted to find a way to put Guru Nanak’s message of equality, social justice and service into practice” remarked radio host Kuldeep Deepak. “When we heard about the great things happening at the Seva Food Bank, we knew that we’d found the organization to support”.
So on Thursday November 10th, the hosts held an 18 hour commercial-free radiothon that raised over $100,000 in pledges for the foodbank, including a $10,000 donation from CJMR’s management team. Just two days later, 60,000 pounds of food was collected in a one-day food drive across 12 locations in the GTA. Both amounts are the largest ever received by the food bank.
“The response has been just outstanding“ commented Seva Food Bank organizer, Gurmeet Singh Ahluwalia. “It is amazing to see such a sense of community and outpouring of support to provide food for local families in need.”
The Seva Food Bank first opened its doors in September 2010 and has grown to distribute over 20,000 pounds of food each month to over 600 registered client families. As part of the Mississauga Food Bank’s city-wide network, it provides safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food across the L5B and L5C postal codes.