Car dealership and funeral home team up to help mission

Gillian Brusich (left) from the James H. Sutton Funeral Home presents a $500 cheque to Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission president Tim McAllister. The mission has also been raising its own funds recently with more donations to come.

A local funeral home teamed with an area car dealership with the Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission being the beneficiaries. 

Gillian Brusich, assistant branch manager at James H. Sutton Funeral Home in Amherstburg, pointed out that Windsor car dealership Strickland’s Automart was at Sutton Funeral Homes the weekend of May 9-10 using their parking lot. She said Strickland’s had a special rate for Amherstburg customers and displayed their cars that weekend.

As part of the arrangement, Brusich said the car dealership made a $500 donation that the funeral home could direct within the Amherstburg community.

It was decided that the mission would receive the money.

Mission president Tim McAllister said a lot of people keep coming in looking for food and the money will go towards feeding those people.

The public regularly steps up to help the hungry people that come to the mission, McAllister said, and that is something he and the rest of the mission volunteers are grateful for.

Donations come in, often without the mission having to request them, and McAllister said that helps them feed people when supplies start running low.

“Every donations helps us fill the gaps,” said McAllister.

McAllister added he is “always excited” to accept a donation and receive the support of the community. 

“People come in on their own. That’s what I like,” said McAllister.

The mission continued its fundraising last weekend, with assistance from Sobeys. “Hot Dog Days” were held last Friday through Sunday with proceeds from the barbecue going to the mission.

The mission will also be one of the recipients of the goods collected in the “Fill the Bus” food drive, with that returning June 27-28. That will be held in the parking lots of Amherstburg grocery stores, with proceeds going to the mission, the food bank at Amherstburg Community Services and Be The Light Outreach Ministry.

The Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission is located at 298 Victoria St. S. Their website is found at www.aburgmission.ca and their phone number is 519-736-9140. 

As part of its programming, the mission serves hot lunches every weekday at 12 noon. 

Car dealership and funeral home team up to help mission

By Ron Giofu