Shawn McEwan, a local Salvation Army Food Bank volunteer, has been officially recognized for his work in helping feed some of the community’s most vulnerable people.
McEwan has delivered over 10,000 boxes of food to local low income seniors and people with disabilities over the last five years as a driver with the Salvation Army Seniors Mobile Food Bank.
McEwan was honoured today with a certificate of appreciation by Major Sean Furey, Salvation Army Food Bank director.
Born and raised in the Sault, McEwan has volunteered with the Salvation Army Food Bank for a total of 15 years.
The Salvation Army Seniors Mobile Food Bank came into being in 2020 as a result of the need to get food to the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
“It’s a great feeling to deliver food to clients. They all smile and they're all thankful every time I drive up and come with a box of food. Every time I see them there’s always a thank you. It's good karma and maybe in the end it'll come back. I just like doing it. I like helping people,” McEwan told SooToday.
McEwan delivers food hampers to clients in low income buildings once a week.
Clients receive a variety of food items in two different hampers.
The first includes jam, one can of cream soup, one can of vegetable soup, tuna, baked beans, canned vegetables, regular corn, canned fruit, pineapple tidbits, rice, canned tomatoes, cereal, crackers and tea.
The second hamper contains chicken or pork, bacon, margarine, cheese, bagged vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, one tomato, one orange and one banana.
Eggs, pizza and bread are also delivered, as well as ice cream in summer.
“There's a lot of need. We have to help these people. They don't have a great amount of money. So we came up with this idea for a mobile food bank and it's been working,” McEwan said.
Though COVID-19 lockdowns are a thing of the past, the Salvation Army Seniors Mobile Food Bank’s work will continue.
“Demand has never decreased,” Furey said.
Furey estimated that 350,000 pounds of food, at a cost of approximately $750,000, have been delivered through the mobile food bank over the last five years.
As for McEwan’s role in the program?
“Three or four of us go to deliver and then there are ladies who pack the bags, so there’s probably 12 people who are involved but Shawn has been there from the start," Furey said.
"People come and go, but Shawn’s been there from the start. This service requires the efforts of a whole team of volunteers but the one constant over the past five years has been Shawn. He's done the most deliveries. He's done nearly every last one of them.”
Furey, Salvation Army staff and volunteers presented McEwan with a congratulatory cake at the Salvation Army Food Bank Thursday afternoon.
“He's a fabulous fellow. He’s dependable, reliable, hard working and honest. He's got a heart for seniors. I couldn't ask for a better partner to do this program,” Furey said.