Goodfellows Hit The Streets In Essex, Friday

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If you’re in the Essex area this Friday or Saturday, make sure you have spare change handy, as the Goodfellows hit the streets.

Firefighters with Essex Fire and Rescue Service, volunteers from the Knights of Columbus, and students from St. Clair College’s Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training program will be stationed at key locations throughout the region handing out newspapers and collecting donations for this year’s charitable campaign.

“Some people in our community will have a hard time feeding their families this holiday season,” says Goodfellows Chairperson Richard Meloche. “The Goodfellows reach out and lend a hand to the food banks who are finding it increasingly difficult to meet area demands.”

Founded in 2005 under the leadership of the late Bob Pulleyblank, the Essex Region Goodfellows raise and provide funds to local food banks for the sole purpose of providing food to people in need.

Since 2005, the organization has conducted 9 annual newspaper campaigns in the lead-up to the holidays and raised over $375,000 for local food banks.

The Town of Essex and its surrounding communities are currently served by four food banks – Essex Area Food Bank, Essex Salvation Army Food Bank, Harrow St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank and McGregor St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Working in conjunction with these charitable organizations, the Goodfellows assist in covering the costs of food baskets distributed over the holidays in the Oldcastle, Maidstone, McGregor, Gesto, Harrow, Colchester and Essex areas.

All of the proceeds from their annual newspaper campaign remain in the community.