Donations are Down at Operation Sharing

Thursday, 20 February 2020 at 12:38

"So that is a bit of a concern for us, starting the year $90,000 less than the year before, it gives us reason for concern."

OXFORD COUNTY - Funds are down this year at Operation Sharing.

The not for profit organization is responsible for several amazing community projects. Operation Sharing is probably best known for doing the Food for Friends food cards, Bullwinkles Eatery and Hospitality Training Centre, which is a pay what you can sliding scale all you can eat buffet and the The Inn, which is Oxford County's only homeless shelter. They also are involved in a number of other community projects including the Writers Cafe, the free Christmas dinner on Christmas Day, the Christmas Place, where you can purchase brand new gifts for your family for a couple of dollars. They also offer the Extended Family Project, Coats for Kids, Sounds for Souls, Cynthia Anne Centre for Addictions, the Meeting Place and Chaplain services.

Vanessa Page is in charge of Public Relations and says donations are really down this year, compared to last.

"It's been said that Operation Sharing has the most modest budget for the amount of programs we provide, we do seem to be able to do a lot of things on a shoestring budget. The majority of our donations do come in between Thanksgiving and Christmas and so what we have in the bank at the end of the year is usually how we can gage how the rest of the year is going to go. So unfortunately at the end of 2019, we were about $90,000 less than where we sat in 2018. So that is a bit of a concern for us, starting the year $90,000 less than the year before, it gives us reason for concern."

Page says they are not totally sure why the donations are down.

"We expect it's because individuals, churches and businesses are all perhaps feeling the financial hardships as well, we have become aware that there have been some church closures that have put a strain on their own financial situation and consequently ours and also the giving at the cash registers to fund the Food for Friends program has also gone down."

Page says they do not want to have to cut back on any of the services they provide.

"It is at the forefront of peoples mind when it is Thanksgiving and Christmas that there are folks who need assistance, especially when it is cold, but that assistance and that need doesn't stop when Christmas is over, that need is there all through the year."

Donations to Operation Sharing can be accepted at the main office at 22 Wilson Street in Woodstock that is open three days a week Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9:00 a.m and noon. You can also donate to Operation Sharing through their website which you can find online here.