Heather Wright/The Independent

Larry Leckie couldn’t be happier and he has the community to thank.

Leckie, one of 50 volunteers who runs the Petrolia Community Refrigerator beside St. Paul’s United Church, was reacting to news the organization has won $25,000 from the Growing Home with BASF program. The company host a contest honouring community volunteer groups.

Officials say 572 organizations in Ontario were nominated for the contest, the Community Fridge was one of the top three organizations. From April 1 to 17, community members voted for their favourite charity and Tuesday, BASF announced the Petrolia Community Refrigerator garnered the most support and claimed the top prize of $25,000.

“We’re pretty excited,” Leckie told The Independent, adding the community is the reason PCR claimed the prize.

“Thank you so much for the support…just, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all the support that you give us. It’s, it’s overwhelming, and you can see it every day other because people drop off stuff into our hamper. People send in donations. Service clubs support us. It’s just something for the community where it’s respectful, it’s discreet, and, you know, it’s just a community thing to help each other out,” Leckie says. “That’s what it was started as, and that’s what it is today.”

Leckie says there are plenty of things the group can use the money for including new refrigerators which would be more reliable than the used units they use now, a trailer to collect donations, or a heating and cooling unit for the shed which is open 24/7 for people in need.

And then, there is the constant need for food.

“We’re spending anywhere between four to 5000 dollars a month, just buying supplemental groceries that we don’t get from rescue or surplus… the need it strips us all the time. It just, just unreal.”

And Leckie doesn’t see that need diminishing anytime soon. “It’s sad. The safety nets are frayed at best,” he says. “If you’re on assistance, you just don’t have enough money to pay rent and food at the same time. It’s one or the other sometimes. So we’re just glad we can help out .”