Woodstock Ingersoll Tillsonburg & Area Association of REALTORS® Make a Difference for Seniors Facing Food Insecurity
Members of the Woodstock Ingersoll Tillsonburg & Area Association of REALTORS® (WITAAR) spent their REALTORS Care® Day reaching out to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents: local seniors facing food insecurity. Partnering with Seniors in Food Crisis, a grassroots volunteer initiative that supports more than 300 families across Oxford County, REALTORS® came together to make a difference where it’s needed most.
8 volunteers gathered to pack and deliver 55 meal bags filled with a full ham and all the fixings, providing seniors with a nutritious meal to help ease the growing pressures of living on fixed incomes. By lightening the load for even a few days, these volunteer efforts helped relieve some of the financial and emotional strain that often comes with maintaining their homes and independence, especially as housing and living costs continue to rise.
“When you have some seniors say they don’t remember the last time they got meat, you really realize how much this means to them. The impact of these meals is going a long way,” said Jana Leroux-Hendren of Seniors in Food Crisis.
The Seniors in Food Crisis program plays a vital role in ensuring that older adults across Oxford County can access not only nutritious food and household essentials, but also the sense of stability and dignity that comes from having their basic needs met. According to Feed Ontario, seniors are nearly twice as likely to need the assistance of a food bank on a long-term basis compared to adults under 65 years of age. Many seniors on fixed incomes face difficult choices between paying for rent or utilities and putting food on the table. Programs like Seniors in Food Crisis are critical in helping older residents maintain a sense of security at home, access the support they need, and preserve their dignity in the face of growing economic pressures.
For local REALTORS®, this REALTORS Care® Day offered a chance to strengthen ties with the community they call home. The day’s volunteer efforts helped address immediate needs while reinforcing a sense of belonging for residents striving to stay independent.
“There’s a lot of seniors in crisis in our county that I don’t think we’re all aware of. It’s important that we all work together as REALTORS® towards a common goal to make sure they’re taken care of,” shared Tammy Betzner, Chair of WITAAR’s REALTORS Care® Committee.
The Woodstock Ingersoll Tillsonburg & Area Association of REALTORS®’ REALTORS Care® Day is just one of the many ways its members make an impact on their community. WITAAR’s commitment is reflected in initiatives like their 14th Annual REALTORS® Care Food Drive, which collected over 44,000 pounds of food for Oxford County food banks, and their pillow drive that provided 200 pillows to Domestic Abuse Services of Oxford. They also hosted and sponsored their 2nd Annual Teacher Supply Drive, donating more than $10,000 in classroom supplies to support over 300 teachers, and are currently running their Annual Warmth for Winter Drive to deliver winter gear, hygiene items, and food gift cards to vulnerable residents across Oxford County.
