Municipal Charity?

Sandra Ogden-Olmstead, executive director of Volunteer Family Services in Woodstock, said the Christmas Season is the most demanding time of year. 

By Michael MacDonald

WOODSTOCK – Volunteer Family Services (VFS), otherwise known as the Woodstock Food Bank, is tucked away behind a small strip mall on Main Street. Finding it for the first time is easy if you notice the sign of the faceless mother with her two sad children. But regrettably, many people are finding it for the first time.

Luckily, the food bank has been able to find funding over the years to support its cause. The Town of Woodstock hasn’t been approached to support the organization financially.

“I’ve been here for three years, but I haven’t requested municipal support other than having the town office join us in some of our fundraising campaigns,” said Sandra Ogden Olmstead, executive director for VFS.

Olmstead said the municipality supports the food bank in variety of other ways. She said they would partner with media to promote various fundraising activities and events, as well as make appearances.

“Being leaders of the community, their voice is sometimes heard and recognized more than mine would be,” said Olmstead.

Woodstock Mayor Arthur Slipp said the town doesn’t have a formal relationship with the food bank, and has not had to support them financially. He said they do help out in other ways whenever they can.

“Some of the ways that we help them is that we certainly give them moral support; we can help them with a small construction project,” said Mayor Slipp.

“For a time, I was on the board of the food bank, and having lived here, we were able to get them into contact with the carpentry program down at the community college, and we were able to facilitate the right person to come to their assistance to help them with something that was a specific issue at the time.”

Mayor Slipp said there is a very important reason council does not support the food bank, and other charitable organizations, financially. They fear setting a precedent for charitable contributions would mean spending an unrealistic amount of money annually in support of these groups.

“Council has to be very, very careful of what we do in terms of charitable contributions,” said Mayor Slipp. “We receive so many letters from very worthy groups and individuals looking for financial support. Council has only twice given an annual grant or an annual contribution.”

The two instances in which council has contributed financially include the establishment of Carleton Manor on Deakin Drive, and a donation to the NBCC Woodstock Scholarship Fund.

“It’s very difficult to say yes to some, and no to others, so we’ve had the policy of saying no.”