Sudbury Food Bank trying new approach to fundraising

The Sudbury Food Bank is trying out a new approach to raising money this summer.

The organization is setting up a lunch-time food cart to raise funds for the community's less fortunate.

The cart will feature sausages and hot dogs, including a treat known as a "donut dog."

Dan Xilon, executive director of the Food Bank, told CBC's Up North the idea of running a food cart came to him during a meeting out west. There, he said, food banks have been running food carts for years. Slightly warmer weather on the coast means they generate more funds throughout the year.

But Sudbury's longer winters don't concern him, though.

"Since all the profit is going to help people who are hungry, really as long as it makes some money it's a success," Xilon said.

"So if it makes a lot of money, that's fabulous, if it makes some money, that's good too."

Food bank can get 6:1 return on every dollar

The Food Bank is testing the lunch cart out so they don't continually solicit from the same donors.

"It's a different approach to fundraising," Xilon said. "You're not donating here. You're buying a lunch, which is allowing someone who doesn't have a lunch to have a lunch. It's up to you whether you want to take part or not."

Xilon said that for every dollar the Food Bank gets, it can usually purchase about $6 worth of food.

That's one of the reasons that the organization looks for new ways to raise money, rather than soliciting food donations.

"I will never say 'no' to a can of beans," Xilon said. "If that can of beans costs a buck fifty or dollar twenty nine...you give me that buck twenty nine...and I will buy four cans of beans."

"They may not be Heinz genuine Quebec maple syrup beans but they will be good, solid beans."

Sausage combo: $7

Xilon said they will make a bit of marketing push next week, with flyers and advertisements, and hopefully some old-fashioned word-of-mouth. And he's hoping the "donut dog" will help that push. The treat is a conventional hot dog, wrapped in a donut instead of a hot dog bun.

"I'm very happy to say that the people who have gone to the cart really enjoy it," he said. "It may sound weird, but it has a unique flavour, and people seem to enjoy it."

The cart is located at the Sudbury Food Bank on 1105 Webbwood Drive, Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A sausage or hot dog combo, including a drink and bag of chips, costs $7.00. Bacon and cheese added to the combo will cost $8.00.