Community groups optimistic about return of mail

Mail will soon be moving again but slowly. CTV’s Jeff Pickel explains the local impact.

Letters and parcels will soon start moving again, but on a limited basis.

The union representing Canada Post workers has announced plans to move to rotating strikes across the country starting at 6 a.m. Saturday.

Local community groups who rely on mail service for donations believe the latest development is a positive step.

“We rely heavily on the mail for donations, lots of people continue to mail in checks,” said Dianne McLeod, CEO of the Cambridge Food Bank.

According to McLeod the food bank has been prepared for a situation like this.

“We do have money set aside for situations like this so that it won’t impact our ability to feed people, but it does impact on our ability to plan further out,” Mcleod said.

McLeod said they are hopeful the mail disruption will be figured out before the calendar turns to November.

“Eighty-seven per cent of our whole year’s fundraising comes in November and December and I’d say about 25 per cent of that comes in through the mail.”

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is also feeling the impact.

“The postal service disruption is creating some real challenges for our fundraising efforts. From Thanksgiving through the new year is our busiest season for giving, and this is the second year in a row we’ve faced a mail disruption,” Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, said.

Anyone looking to donate can go to either food bank location to give in person in person, or donations are also accepted online or over the phone.

With files from the Canadian Press