Chalmers Community Services Centre provides food, clothing, diapers, and other services to community members in need.  Funding for the bulk of the food is provided through grants; local churches also provide some funding as well as diapers, toilet paper and food items.
For Marianne Frame-Toombs, a volunteer at the Pantry, it was satisfying to know that people facing hard times had a place to go to feed their families.  Then COVID-19 hit.  Churches that regularly donated food were no longer meeting in person, and regular collections like the “Egg and Cheese Sunday” no longer happened.  The Pantry could not keep up with the growing needs of the community. 
 
As the spouse of a Rotarian, Marianne worried about the drop in important food donations, such as eggs and cheese. She discussed her concerns with her husband Mike and together they drafted a proposal for the Rotary Club of Guelph-Trillium. The club had been looking for a way to help the community during the pandemic.  Taking on the “Egg and Cheese Project” seemed like a good idea. 
 
After talking with the club and the Chalmers Community Services Centre, Mike and Marianne opted for a simple idea to help collect essential foods like eggs and cheese. They kept a cooler of ice on their front doorstep and encouraged club members to drop off donations daily.  This allowed for a convenient drop-off and supported social distancing.  Rotarians started dropping off eggs and cheese for Marianne to take to the Pantry on Thursday mornings.
 
As a tribute to 100 years of Rotary in Guelph, a goal of collecting 100 dozen eggs and 100 blocks of cheese was set for the program. Word caught on!  Neighbours and friends of Rotarians also started to make donations to the cause.   Since June, over 249 dozen eggs and 102 blocks of cheese have been collected for the Pantry!