ONTARIO: CJMR​ ​Radio​ ​hosts​ ​raise​ ​over​ ​$150,000​ ​and​ ​70,000​ ​pounds​ ​of​ ​food​ ​for​ ​Seva​ ​Food​ ​Bank

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan at ​annual​ ​CJMR​ ​Guru​ ​Nanak​ ​Radiothon​ ​and Food​ ​Drive​ .​

Mississauga,​ ​ONTARIO:​​ ​Last​ ​week’s​ ​annual​ ​CJMR​ ​Guru​ ​Nanak​ ​Radiothon​ ​and Food​ ​Drive​ ​raised​ ​over​ ​$150,000​ ​in​ ​pledges​ ​and​ ​70,000​ ​pounds​ ​of​ ​food​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Seva​ ​Food​ ​Bank.
The​ ​effort​ ​was​ ​led​ ​by​ ​the​ ​producers​ ​of​ ​CJMR​ ​1320​ ​AM​ ​radio​ ​station​ ​to​ ​mark​ ​the​ ​549​th anniversary​ ​of​ ​Guru​ ​Nanak’s​ ​birth.​ ​​ ​

“We​ ​really​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​put​ ​Guru​ ​Nanak’s message​ ​of​ ​equality,​ ​social​ ​justice​ ​and​ ​service​ ​into​ ​practice”​ ​remarked​ ​radio​ ​host​ ​Kuldip Deepak.​ ​“The​ ​Seva​ ​Food​ ​Bank​ ​is​ ​doing​ ​just​ ​that​ ​with​ ​its​ ​commitment​ ​to​ ​​seva,​ ​selfless​ ​service, and​ ​​sarbat da bhalla,​ ​the​ ​well-being​ ​of​ ​all​ ​humanity.”
On​​ ​November​ ​3,​ ​the​ ​hosts​ ​held​ ​their​ ​seventh​ ​annual​ 13-​hour​ ​commercial-free radiothon.​ ​​ ​Over​ ​1,000​ ​callers​ ​dialed​ ​in​ ​to​ ​pledge​ ​their​ ​donations.​ ​The​ ​radiothon​ ​was​ ​followed by​ ​a​ ​food​ ​drive​ ​on​ ​November​ ​4,​ ​which​ ​involved​ ​the​ ​support​ ​of​ ​over​ ​200​ ​Seva volunteers,​ ​spanning​ ​across​ ​over​ ​25​ ​South​ ​Asian​ ​grocery​ ​stores​ ​and​ ​gurdwaras​ ​to​ ​collect​ ​food donations​ ​within​ ​the​ ​Peel​ ​region.
“This​ ​incredible​ ​week​ ​has​ ​made​ ​a​ ​direct​ ​positive​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​the​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​our​ ​client​ ​families” said​ ​Seva​ ​Food​ ​Bank​ ​organizer,​ ​Sarabjot​ ​(Jyoti)​ ​Kaur​ ​Bedi.​ ​“The​ ​food​ ​and​ ​funds​ ​collected allow​ ​us​ ​to​ ​not​ ​only​ ​feed​ ​more​ ​people​ ​but​ ​also​ ​tackle​ ​the​ ​issues​ ​of​ ​food​ ​security,​ ​hunger​ ​and poverty​ ​at​ ​both​ ​our​ ​Wolfedale​ ​and​ ​Malton​ ​food​ ​bank​ ​locations.”
The​ ​Seva​ ​Food​ ​Bank​ ​first​ ​opened​ ​its​ ​doors​ ​in​ ​September​ ​2010​ ​and​ ​now​ ​serves​ ​over​ ​900​ ​families in​ ​need​ ​each​ ​month​ ​across​ ​both​ ​locations.​ ​​As​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Mississauga​ ​Food​ ​Bank’s​ ​city-wide network,​ ​it​ ​provides​ ​safe,​ ​nutritious​ ​and​ ​culturally​ ​appropriate​ ​food​ ​to​ ​clients​ ​from​ ​its Wolfedale​ ​and​ ​Malton​ ​locations.