Bobbi Millman was inspired by her seven-year-old son who, for the past couple of years, has said no to birthday presents and asked for food bank donations instead.
The Guelph mother has now created a Facebook group from which people can request needed food items or offer excess food for free. The group has the side benefit of reducing food waste in the city.
'Hungry Guelph and Surrounding Area' was created by Millman in August when se noticed food in her refrigerator would spoil as she was preparing for a vacation.
She moved to Guelph from Brampton about a year ago and said she didn't know anyone she could give it to.
"The fridge was filled — with milk that was going to go bad, vegetables that were going to go bad — “I could ask a neighbour or a friend, but we didn’t know anybody in Guelph.,” said Millman.
“I thought there has to be a better way.”
She created the Facebook group and within two days had more than 100 people sign up.
“We know there is a need and we also know we aren’t even scratching the surface, because these are people who can afford the internet,” said Millman. “There are so many out there that don’t.”
The group has rules and Millman has had to ban a few people, but she said the vast majority of experiences have been positive.
"Unfortunately, like with anything, there are some people who may try to take advantage of it, so we are trying to be aware of that," she said. “If someone is asking over and over again we will message them privately to tell them it’s okay to ask, but we ask that they limit it to once a month just so everyone gets an opportunity.”
Rules of the group include no shaming people and all food items must be offered for free. No trades or sales.
Millman said the biggest need is for items like milk, meat and fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as baby items.
Many of the people offering food were harvesting fresh vegetables from their gardens.
“It was great, but at this time of the year it is slowing down," said Millman.
The group now has over 300 members and she has even seen people who were accepting food now offering it on the page.
“We had a lady in the area who was on maternity leave and her husband was sick and they were short money. She said 'I am really embarrassed but we don’t have enough to get us through the next week,'” said Millman. “Two weeks later I noticed she was paying it forward. Things were okay now and she was offering food to others in the group."
“That’s what it’s all about. People are making new friends out of it, helping their neighbour and not wasting food,” said Millman.
Ideally, food items being offered should go to those most in need, said Millman.
"If no one else takes it, and it’s just going to sit there then anybody can take it,” she said.
Millman said she was inspired by her son Ethan, who started accepting food bank donations instead of gifts for his birthday parties while the family still lived in Brampton.
"There were kids in his class who had no food," said Millman. "I can't even imagine in this day and age."
A side benefit of starting the group is the friendships Millman has made along the way.
"I have been here for about a year now and as an adult it’s kind of hard to meet new friends," she said. “There’s so many genuinely nice people I have gotten to talk to through this.”
