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What's in Our October Newsletter?
1. Your Impact in September 2026
2. Food Pantry Wishlist
4. Art Contest Winners
5. Community Gives Back: Jumping Bean
6. Haunting on Winnipeg Street
7. Volunteer Spotlight: David C
8. Community Highlights
Bridges to Hope Food Aid Centre's Impact in the community shown in this picture
Hey, neighbours!

Every month, we're able to lend a helping hand to our neighbours because of caring and generous people like you. Behind every hamper and every service we provide is a community that believes in looking out for one another.

We know how much your support means. That's why we make every dollar donated count, working to provide food assistance with the dignity, care, and respect our neighbours deserve.

In this issue, we're sharing our collective impact in September 2026, celebrating some wonderful community moments, and looking ahead to October. Keep reading to learn more!
Food Hampers
Throughout September, our food pantry recorded 1,784 visits, supporting 1,348 unique individuals from across the St. John’s Metro region.
Children Served
Children accounted for 34% of those we served in September, meaning more than one in every three visits was for a child.
Seniors Served
Neighbours aged 65+ represented 3.7% of those accessing our pantry last month, highlighting the continued importance of accessible food support for older adults in our community.
 
October Food Pantry Wishlist
Beverages
Beverages such as juice, bottled water, and Boost or Ensure are welcome additions to our pantry.
 
These donations help us offer more variety and choice so we can better meet the dietary needs and preferences of our neighbours.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a nutritious, filling breakfast staple that is always appreciated in our food pantry.

These donations can help local families neighbours start their day with a wholesome meal.
Cooking Oil
Cooking oil is a pantry staple used in preparing a wide variety of everyday meals.

Donations of vegetable, canola, olive, and other cooking oils help our neighbours prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals.
Food donations can be dropped off at 37 Cookstown Road, Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM until 4:00 PM. Thank you for your support!
 
Celebrating Young Talents - Art Contest Winners 
 
We're so excited to announce the winners of our very first Children's Art Contest, held as part of our Bag to School program throughout July and August!
 
We're delighted to share the winning artwork from our talented young artists. Take a look at their wonderful creations above. A big congratulations to all our winners and runners-up! And a special thanks to Brush Strokes with Lesley for helping select the winners, and for providing the prizes.
 
We're equally grateful to every young artist who participated and shared their wonderful talents, creativity, and imagination with us. Every submission brought something special to the contest, and we loved seeing the world through your artwork.
To all our young artists, keep creating, dreaming, and sharing your amazing talents! 
 
Community Gives Back:
Jumping Bean, Elizabeth Avenue
A little coffee, a little kindness, and another opportunity to give back to our community!
 
This October, we're delighted to have Jumping Bean Coffee on Elizabeth Avenue hosting our travelling Tap-to-Give station. A familiar local name, Jumping Bean has been serving Newfoundland since 2005, bringing people together over freshly roasted coffee and delicious café favourites.
 
We're happy to have their Elizabeth Avenue team joining us in supporting neighbours experiencing food insecurity, making it easy for customers to contribute to our food pantry while enjoying their favourite brew.
 
Stopping by for a coffee or a bite to eat?
 
Look out for our Tap-to-Give station at 37 Elizabeth Avenue. Every tap helps us continue providing dignified and accessible food assistance right here in our community.
 
P.S. Interested in bringing our travelling Tap-to-Give station to your workplace, business, or community space? We'd love to hear from you at info@bridgestohope.ca.
 
Haunting on Winnipeg Street: In Support of Our Neighbours

👻 A Haunting on Winnipeg Street Returns!

Spooky season is just around the corner! Our friends Roger and Denise are once again bringing their annual 'Haunting on Winnipeg Street' Halloween display to life in support of Bridges to Hope!
 
From October 1 to November 1, visitors are invited to stop by, enjoy the spooky decorations, and bring along a non-perishable food item to help stock our pantry shelves and support neighbours experiencing food insecurity.
 
The photos above offer a little glimpse of last year's haunting, and we can't wait to see what Roger and Denise have in store for us this time!
 
For more details, updates, and sneak peeks, be sure to join the A Haunting on Winnipeg Street Facebook group.
 
A special thank you to Roger and Denise for continuing this wonderful tradition and bringing our community together for a little Halloween fun and a meaningful cause!
 
Volunteer Spotlight: David C.
Volunteer Spotlight at Bridges to Hope - Jenifer S
Every day at Bridges to Hope, volunteers work tirelessly to deliver critical community support. Our mission would simply not be possible without this incredible team.

This month, we're highlighting David Chafe, one of our dedicated Friday food pantry volunteers! From unpacking deliveries and sorting donations to stocking shelves, filling hampers, and handing them out to our neighbours, David is always ready to lend a hand. Whenever our van arrives with donations, he never hesitates to jump in and help unload. We caught up with David to ask him about his volunteer involvement:

When did you start volunteering with Bridges to Hope?
 
I started volunteering with Bridges to Hope in January 2026. In my capacity as Music Director of Wesley United Church, I also host a couple of fundraisers each year in the form of gospel singalongs in support of Bridges to Hope.
 
What is your favourite part of volunteering at Bridges to Hope?
 
I have many favourite things about volunteering here. I thoroughly enjoy sharing pantry tasks with my wife, Joan, who started with me in January. I also appreciate getting to know many other volunteers of all ages and walks of life. Most especially, I like interacting with our clients, even for just a few moments at a time. Seeing how genuinely appreciative they all are is very moving and reinforces the significance of Bridges to Hope in our community.
 
Tell us a fun fact about you!
 
In my 30s, I changed careers from accounting to music. Easily one of the best decisions in my life. 
 
Thanks for being a part of our team, David. People like you make our community stronger!
 
Volunteers Needed:
Extra Hands for the Holiday Season!
November and December are approaching fast, and that means one of our busiest times of the year is just around the corner. With more neighbours turning to us for food assistance and our holiday programs running alongside our regular pantry operations, we're going to need some extra helping hands to keep everything running smoothly.

Our volunteers make so much of what we do possible, and we'd love to welcome a few more friendly faces to help us through this busy season.

Have some time to spare? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Jess, at volunteer@bridgestohope.ca or click here to get involved.
 
Community Highlights
Neptune Lodge No. 22
In September, we had the pleasure of visiting our long-time friends at Neptune Lodge No.22, sharing updates on our work and connecting with members who have continued to support Bridges to Hope over the years.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Neptune Lodge for their generous donation and continued kindness towards our neighbours experiencing food insecurity.
BBQ Food-Raiser by Mike & Tommy
A big thank you to these two wonderful folks, Mike & Tommy for hosting a food-raiser in support of our pantry!
 
They collected over 120 pounds of food and raised an incredible $623 to help feed our neighbours.
 
We’re so grateful to everyone who helped turn a fun get-together into support for our community. Thank you for thinking of Bridges to Hope!
Pet Valu Churchill Sq.
A heartfelt thank you to our friends at Pet Valu Churchill Square for their continued generosity! Through their ongoing support, we received more than 50kg of pet food this month alone, helping us care for the furry family members of neighbours accessing our food pantry. 

We're also grateful to all the caring customers who contribute at their store.
The Sprout Restaurant
Throughout September, The Sprout Restaurant on Duckworth Street opened its doors to our travelling Tap-to-Give station, giving customers an opportunity to support our food pantry with a simple tap.

And their kindness doesn't stop there! The Sprout also regularly shares loaves of bread with us to pass along to our neighbours.
 
Our sincere thanks to the Sprout team and everyone who contributed through the station. We're lucky to have friends like you helping us put more food on the tables of local families!
First United Church 
A big thank you to First United Church for taking action during Hunger Action Month, raising awareness about food insecurity and hosting a food drive in support of our pantry!

We're grateful to everyone involved and all who contributed for helping shine a light on the growing need in our community while providing much-needed food for our neighbours.
 
Thank you for continuing to stand with us!
St. David's & St. Andrew's Presbyterian Churches
During Hunger Action Month, our friends at St. David's and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Churches came together to support Bridges to Hope through a food drive, while helping spread awareness of food insecurity in our community.

It means so much to see community members turning awareness into meaningful action.
 
Our sincere thanks to both congregations who helped organize, promote, and contribute to this initiative.
Neighbours Feeding Neighbours
Did you know you can donate produce from your home or community garden to our food bank?
In addition to our usual assortment of fresh produce, in September we were delighted to have some beautiful homegrown lettuce from our friend John Kennedy!
 
Thank you, John, for sharing your harvest with our community!
MUN GIVE Event
A big thank you to Memorial University for welcoming us to the GIVE Event last month!

Our staff members, Jess and Sash spent the day at MUN connecting with the student community, sharing more about our mission, and introducing opportunities to volunteer with Bridges to Hope.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to learn more about how they can get involved and support our neighbours.
Service Canada Clinic
A special thank you to Service Canada for joining us at Bridges to Hope in September to help our neighbours apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan!

We appreciated having a Citizen Services Specialist on-site to guide individuals through the application process, making it easier for our community to access important dental care.
 
Bridges to Hope is committed to providing dignified and accessible assistance to those experiencing food insecurity. Our vision is a community where all of our neighbours have access to nutritious and culturally-appropriate food.

Join us in making a greater impact! Share our mission on social media and help us reach even more of our neighbours.
 
PS: If this email landed in your spam or promotions folder, please move it to your inbox or add us to your safe sender list so you don't miss future updates.
37-39 Cookstown Rd
St. John's NL A1C 4G7
info@bridgestohope.ca
(709) 722-9225
Charitable Reg. No. 859148009 RR0001