$20,000 holiday gift from Gore Mutual Insurance Company Foundation helps Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank at a time of urgent need

CAMBRIDGE, ON, Dec. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - More vulnerable families in Cambridge will benefit from emergency food assistance and support programs as the result of a surprise $20,000 gift to the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank from the Gore Mutual Insurance Company Foundation.

"I'm humbled and grateful. The generosity of Gore Mutual Foundation will make an immediate impact in the lives of the families we serve. The gift arrived just in time to help us replace a broken compressor in our walk-in-freezer, where we store a lot of turkeys. It would have been a disaster," said Pat Singleton, Executive Director of Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank. "The donation will also help us stock our shelves throughout the winter months and be used to support our Grandparent Group and programs that teach self-sufficiency."

Each month the Food Bank provides food to 26 community organizations and helps over 2,000 families who mostly consist of poor children with single-mothers or elderly caregivers. Their services also extend beyond food distribution and include a broad range of support programs that help families avoid and recover from crisis.

"We wanted to do something important over the holidays and looked at the issue of poverty in our community.  The services provided by Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank really align to the values and interests of Gore Mutual Foundation. It's critically important to give families access to food to survive. But that alone is not enough, we also want to invest in programs to help them thrive," said Heidi Sevcik, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gore Mutual Insurance Company.

Since 1998, Gore Mutual Foundation in partnership with over 250 brokers has donated more than $5 million to help over 550 charities in the communities in which Gore Mutual Insurance Company does business.

About Gore Mutual Foundation:
The Gore Mutual Insurance Company Foundation strengthens Canadian communities by supporting local initiatives in the areas served by Gore Mutual Insurance Company.

About Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank:
Our services extend beyond simply providing food. Our programs are designed to build skills that help people move out of the cycle of poverty. We offer a full range of programs within our facility including: the provision of Emergency Food Assistance, the Food Co-operative program, Infant, Youth, Adult and Seniors Program and Employment Readiness Programs. 

SOURCE Gore Mutual Insurance Company

Image with caption: "From left to right: Pat Singleton, Executive Director of Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank and Heidi Sevcik, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gore Mutual Insurance Company (CNW Group/Gore Mutual Insurance Company)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151222_C6464_PHOTO_EN_588962.jpg

Image with caption: "Gore Mutual Insurance Company (CNW Group/Gore Mutual Insurance Company)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151222_C6464_PHOTO_EN_588964.jpg

For further information: Igor Bubic, Director, Marketing, Communications and Digital, Gore Mutual Insurance Company and Gore Mutual Foundation, 252 Dundas Street North, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5T3, 1-800-265-8600 x 2307, [email protected], www.goremutual.ca; Pat Singleton, Executive Director, Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank, 54 Ainslie St. South, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 3K3, 519-622-6550, [email protected], www.cambridgefoodbank.on.ca