If it weren’t for the help and contributions made from events such as the Empty Bowls Caring Hearts dinner, Cal Rankin thinks that Shelter House Thunder Bay wouldn’t be able to provide the services it normally makes available to the community.

In 2009, Empty Bowls raised approximately $15,000 from their fundraising dinner, with one half of the proceeds going to Shelter House and the other donated to the Thunder Bay Food Bank. Rankin, executive director of Shelter House, points out that the need for food and shelter is growing in the community, making their work crucial for the survival of less fortunate individuals

He adds that the percentage of people in need of basic necessities has risen up by 30% over last year. Because of this, Shelter House now makes around 515 meals every day, which are divided into hot meals, bagged lunches and groceries which are distributed to those in need each day.

And yet while the organization moves huge amounts of food on a daily basis, it seems it still isn’t enough for everyone—more and more people still end up on the streets hungry.

To answer this call for help, Empty Bowls will be hosting the 11^th annual Empty Bowls Caring Hearts dinner on the 17^th of October, also known as World Food Day, at the Moose Hall here in Thunder Bay at 6 in the evening.

For more information on Empty Bowls Thunder Bay, logon to http://www.emptybowlstb.com/.

Shelter House Thunder Bay, an organization that provides the city’s less fortunate with a temporary roof over their heads, as well as other necessities like food and clothes, recently released its final figures of donations collected from its fundraising drive which took place on Christmas last year.

In spite of the organization’s worries about not making the 2009 target, officials from Shelter House Thunder Bay said that the fundraising campaign was largely successful – their collections exceeded the $145,000 mark significantly.

According to Shelter House Executive Director Cal Rankin, the donations will help them meet the annual overall goal of $400,000. A large chunk of the donations will be used in maintaining operations, he added.

Aside from monetary donations, Shelter House Thunder Bay also amassed plenty of other donated items, such as canned goods and other non-perishable food items, as well as clothes, both new and used. The food items will go a long way in keeping their shelves stocked, Rankin said.

Shelter House Thunder Bay depends largely on donations from the community to provide services needed by the cities less fortunate families. The shelter is especially needed by many during the winter, as most of the city’s homeless can’t find a place to get warm.