2025 President’s Report: Highlights from Le Pont/Bridging’s Annual General Meeting
On February 25, Le Pont/Bridging held its 2025 Annual General Meeting at the War Memorial Library in Hudson. It was a wonderful opportunity to gather with board members and community supporters to reflect on the past year and share what lies ahead.
During the meeting, we were pleased to highlight the progress made in 2025 and introduce several projects currently underway. Moments like these remind us how much can be accomplished when a community comes together to support its neighbours.
To learn more about our work over the past year, we invite you to read the President’s Report below.
2025 President’s Report
Thanks to the generosity of our community and the dedication of our volunteers, Le Pont/Bridging has once again gone above and beyond to ensure its clients have reliable access to food. This year we fed 102 people from 43 homes, 27 of which are children. We also welcomed 8 new clients which highlights the continuing need for support in our area.
Financially we remain in a strong position. Donations have continued to rise, which is especially appreciated in the face of increasing food costs. This steady support allows us to maintain and adapt our services to best meet the client’s needs.
To help ease the burden of high food costs, we introduced a second option for gift cards and now include Super C. Several clients have chosen to switch over from the IGA cards, allowing them to stretch their food budget a little bit further.
One of our biggest changes this year was initiating an interview process for our clients to more thoroughly assess their needs. The interviews are intended for both new clients and long-term clients as follow-ups. This was headed up by Louise Gauthier who later trained three other board members in the sensitive area of client interviews. We are grateful for the time and care that was invested in this important work.
This year we said goodbye to board member Elizabeth Kennell who resigned shortly after last year’s AGM. Elizabeth’s work here on the board was integral in helping us modernize and update the food bank. We thank her sincerely for her contributions.
Once again, our community has come together to show remarkable generosity through donations, fundraising and food drives. We extend our thanks to Cardinal Brewing for hosting a fundraising Oktoberfest, and to the co-ordinators of Porchfest, who once again donated substantial funds. Also to Evergreen Elementary School and the Scouts for organizing food drives; to Pengrove Farm for their meat donations and The Hudson Heartbeet Community Farm for weekly vegetables; and to our new contributor this year, Boulangerie Ange, who have kept our freezers flooded with bread and baked goods.
We’re also grateful for the ongoing support of the IGA, the Hudson Fire Department, the Town of Hudson, the War Memorial Library and the many others who contributed in ways both big and small.
Looking ahead, we are excited to be preparing for our 30th anniversary. In honour of this milestone, we are planning a celebration event for the spring of 2026 to give back to the community that has supported us over the last 30 years.
Also in the works is the creation of the Hudson Community Fridge. While we have encountered some challenges, we remain hopeful that the fridge will be up and running at some point in 2026. A special thank you to Ron Goldenberg for his tenacity in moving this initiative forward.
I would like to extend sincere thanks to our long-time volunteers Doug and Georgie Jesty as well as Stan Belczowski, who we rarely see but always appreciate. And we are pleased to welcome two new volunteers this year: Heather Gorman, who is always happy and willing to help and Marie-Claire Charlton who has taken on the much needed role of social media and website coordinator. And special shout-outs to board member Sally Janson, who opened her home this year for most of our meetings, and to Marc Léger, who has taken great time and care in improving our storage facility.
And of course a big thank you to the board for everything that we’ve accomplished this year. In a time that feels uncertain and somewhat chaotic, it feels deeply meaningful to be a part of something steady, compassionate and that’s rooted in kindness. Our food bank represents cooperation and the strength of a small community, and I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s a privilege to play a role in this shared effort.
– Kirsten Stoger, President, Le Pont/Bridging
