Erin Ward, executive director for the PEDVAC Foundation, was welcoming vendors to the organization’s annual Lupin Quilt Fair and Market fundraising event on Saturday when she got a call from Joe Canario, the food bank coordinator.
There had been a break-in.
Ward had someone take over her duties at the fair and made her way to the food bank, where she immediately saw the busted locks on the open door. Food and other items were strewn across the floor.
It’s something Ward still finds hard to believe and never expected to happen to a food bank, where things are freely given, she said.
“ If anybody asks for anything, whether it’s a t-shirt, dishes, mugs, they need an extra loaf of bread or a quart of milk, we give it, even if they’ve already had their box for the month. If we have it, we’ll give, and that’s the part that hurts the most because I just wish whoever would have asked.”
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While the robbery was discovered on Saturday, Ward waited until Monday afternoon, July 7, to make a post about it on the organization’s Facebook page, as she said she didn’t want to “bring a gray cloud” over the Lupin Fair.
Within hours, people were commenting and sharing the post. When asked how it felt seeing that immediate support, Ward started to tear up as she described how she had spent her morning answering emails and phone calls from folks looking to help.
 ”It is so overwhelming. This community is just giving all the time,” she said. “Sorry, it just, it hits because I just really wanted to acknowledge that it happened so that people could be a little more secure in their own things, their own homes.”
Items taken from the food bank include meat, dog food, toilet paper, shampoo, soap and deodorant. Of those, they are now completely out of dog food, paper towels, and body wash, as well as crackers and chips, said Ward.
 ”I’m not too worried about chips because you can get by without chips. But you know, when someone comes in and is in desperate need and says, ‘do you have a roll of toilet paper?’ They’re asking because they legitimately need it.”
PEDVAC stands for the Port Elgin District Voluntary Action Committee. Its food bank serves around 130 homes throughout Strait Shores. Altogether, Ward estimates the toilet paper alone could have been enough to help between 15 or 20 homes, while the dog food and soaps could have gone to another 10 to 15 homes.
Still, Ward is trying to be thankful for what could have been a worse situation. Whoever broke in left laptops, printers, phones and the minimal amount of cash they keep on hand untouched, which leads Ward to think there was no real harm intended to PEDVAC.
 ”I really feel they needed help, and I just wish I would’ve got a phone call or they stopped me on a street somewhere and said, ‘hey, Erin, I need this.’ And I would’ve said, ‘sure, come on over.'”
Since the break-in, the doors have been re-secured and Ward gave a statement to the RCMP on Monday. CHMA was unable to reach an officer about the investigation, though Ward did say police were able to identify a vehicle, but no license plate, from security footage.
In the meantime, those looking to help can do so by donating some of those items which need replacing. Donations can be dropped off at the PEDVAC Foundation offices at 12 Church Street in Port Elgin, Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 4 pm. Folks can also make a monetary donation by e-transfer to pedvacfoundation@gmail.com.
