As the old saying goes, “They took everything, including the kitchen sink!” Well, now you can find the kitchen sink among hundreds of items up for grabs in the first Canadian Foodgrains Bank Ontario online auction, being held June 10 – 17. The auction is taking place through Sydenham Auction Services and can be accessed at their website, www.sydenhamauction.com.
Henry Reinders, coordinator of the Meaford Bighead River growing project and Ontario Regional Representative for Canadian Foodgrains Bank, said the idea for an auction came about as an alternative to the many fundraising events that had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
“We have over 100 growing projects across Ontario, which are a collaboration of farmers, churches, communities, and agribusiness working together to grow and sell a crop, with the proceeds going to the Foodgrains Bank,” said Reinders. “In many cases, the proceeds from the crop sale are augmented by fundraisers within the local communities and these could not happen this past year.”
“This is a way to involve the many supporters of the Foodgrains Bank in a province-wide fundraiser, while also drawing new people into our organization and our mission,” Reinders explained.
Reinders noted the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of people facing hunger throughout the world. “It has been a difficult situation for everyone everywhere,” he stated, “but with very few societal safety nets in developing countries, those people have been particularly hard hit as economies have shut down and jobs have been lost.” The United Nations estimates that over 200 million additional people have become hungry over the last year due to the pandemic.
Donations for the auction have come in from all across the province. Most notable are the many handmade quilts. Other items include bicycles, exercise and leisure equipment, furniture, artwork, books, outdoor equipment, antiques, china and glassware, toys, hardware, tools and more. Of particular interest are Bunnykins china pieces including a teapot and cups, a set of Norman Rockwell mugs, and four Royal Doulton figurines. There are prints of works by people such as James Lumbers, Walter Campbell, Peter Etril Snyder, and Group of Seven artists J.E.H. MacDonald and Arthur Lismer. New woodworking pieces donated by Foodgrains supporters include a walnut bench and shelf, an apartment style birdhouse, a storage bench, a home postal station, and an old window frame turned into a six panelled mirror.
“I think there’s something here for everyone,” said Reinders, who is hosting the auction in his newly built garage just outside of Meaford. “I hope people bid generously and bid often, because there is such a tremendous need for food assistance all around the world.”
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end hunger. In the 2020-21 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $49 million of assistance for 989,000 people in 33 countries. Canadian Foodgrains Bank programs are undertaken with support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world.
Bidding begins closing at 7 p.m. on June 17. Purchases can be picked up at 77797 11th Line, Meaford on June 18 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. or on June 19 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
