The Salvation Army in Listowel is set to host a Ride for Refuge bike and walk fundraiser this weekend.
Community and Family Services Director Gwyneth Woods says the Ride for Refuge is a family friendly fundraiser and everyone is welcome. She says all the funds that are raised stay within the community for the Salvation Army to disperse.
"All of the funds are in support of charities that help people seeking hope, safety and freedom. So for us, what that means, is it really supports the community service programs that we run here in Listowel. So the food bank, our Hope Eats program, our Christmas Assistant, and the things connected to those, as well," Woods shared.
The Ride for Refuge kicks off this Saturday, October 4 at 625 Main Street East, Listowel at 10:15 a.m. Perth-Wellington MP John Nater will be there to help get the ride and walk started.
Wood says events like this are very important when it comes to community support and helping out those who are most in need.
"We absolutely need to sort of boost those donations and get those things going. People know the need is great and it has definitely grown over the last few years, as has our population here in North Perth. So the services that we provide have reflected that, they've grown, too," she said.
With demand growing for services like the food bank, Wood says fundraisers like this are critical to keeping those services alive.
"We help about 350-400 individuals at the food bank each month, that's counting each household member. Definitely over 100 households a month. We're booking well in advance for people to come in, they can access once every 4 weeks and we definitely see that need increasing," added Woods.
You can still sign up online for the Ride for Refuge event, but you can also show up and register on the day of. Links to sign up can be found on the Listowel Salvation Army Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/listowelthriftstore/) or here: https://en.rideforrefuge.org/home
If you wish to just simply donate to the Salvation Army, there are instructions on how to do so with cash or cheque on https://salvationarmy.ca/#.
