Cathy Dobson Sarnia’s Inn of the Good Shepherd is the winner of 600 dozen eggs thanks to an online competition to help beat hunger. “It’s official.
Cathy Dobson
Sarnia’s Inn of the Good Shepherd is the winner of 600 dozen eggs thanks to an online competition to help beat hunger.
“It’s official. We won,” said Myles Vanni, executive director at the food bank that feeds 1,800 a month and the soup kitchen that serves 110 meals a day.
“That’s a lot of omelettes.”
The contest, sponsored by the Egg Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Association of Food Banks, involved online voting in October.
Voters were allowed to cast a vote for their preferred Ontario food bank each day. In total, more than 75,000 votes were received with about 30% going to The Inn of the Good Shepherd.
“That’s a phenomenal number,” said Vanni. “There was a real groundswell of support through email and social media.”
The Inn will receive two shipments of 300 dozen eggs each. The eggs will be shared with the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul food banks in Sarnia, as well as food banks in Forest, Watford and Alvinston.
Food banks throughout Lambton regularly support each other and share food, said Vanni.
He said the 600 dozen eggs will provide enough eggs for about five weeks at the Inn. And money usually spent on eggs can be spent on other needs.
The Inn was also the winner of a meat producers’ online contest at Thanksgiving and received 300 to 400 packages of meat.
“We’ve won online contests three or four times in the past few years,” said Vanni. “People are really watching out for us. Our social media support is really strong.”
Other winners in the Egg Farmers of Ontario Beat Hunger contest include The Salvation Army Community and Family Services in Owen Sound, which won 400 dozen eggs; and The Agape Centre in Cornwall, which is receiving 250 dozen eggs.
