The Jasper Food Bank is once again looking for donations to help replenish its dwindling stocks.
On Nov. 10 volunteers from the food bank and the Jasper Rotary Club will spread out across town to collect healthy, non-perishable food items from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The food drive follows a similar campaign held on Halloween called “Trick or Eat,” organized by the Youth Community Helpers program. Recognizing that many residents may have already donated food, volunteers from the Rotary Club intend to hit the streets that were missed during Halloween, explained Patrick Mooney, president of the Jasper Food Bank Society and a community outreach worker.
“A good successful food drive where we get to 90 per cent of the doors in town could account for 30 to 40 per cent of our annual inventory,” said Mooney, explaining it’s also a good opportunity to remind people there is a food bank in town.
He said the food bank hands out 500 to 700 food hampers every year. A food hamper usually consists of enough food to feed someone for up to six days.
“This town will always have a need for a food bank,” said Mooney, explaining there are a lot of low and middle income earners in town.
“We have this idea in our head that you have to be completely destitute before you go to the food bank, but that’s not why we’re here.
“We’re here to help people before they become completely destitute. I don’t mind someone coming to me because they had to save their money to pay their rent or cable bill instead of groceries. Our food bank is there in order to help you maintain your lifestyle to prevent you from becoming destitute.”
In addition to providing non-perishable goods, the food bank also tries to offer people nutritious food options by taking advantage of the growing season.
“Everyone has a right to accessible, affordable and nutritious food,” said Mooney, adding the food bank recently purchased two new refrigerators and was given a freezer to keep donated veggies as fresh as possible.
“This is part of our effort to offer something a little more nutritious because historically food banks don’t give out great food.”
A lot of the organization’s fresh produce is donated by members of the community garden and by Twin Meadows Organics Farm which runs a weekly food box program out of McBride, B.C, .
The food bank is located in the basement of St. Mary and St. George Anglican Church, on the corner of Geikie Street and Miette Avenue. It is open every Thursday at 6 p.m.
On top of private donations from residents, both grocery stores in town also donate to the food bank.
At TGP, every time a customer purchases groceries, points from their bill goes to the customer’s charity of choice. Every month the grocery store donates $1,000, which is then divided between each charity based on the number of points allocated to each of the organizations.
TGP also has a food collection box to collect non-perishable food items. There is also a collection box at the Jasper Activity Centre.
At Robinsons Foods, people can donate money through the Alberta Shares program. The provincial program offers customers the opportunity to donate $2 when they go through the checkout. To donate money, customers can pick up a plastic card on display at the cash register and give it to the cashier to scan. Two dollars is then added to the customer’s bill and the card is returned to its display.
That money is then added to an account at Robinsons, which the Jasper Food Bank Society can use to buy items.
In addition to the food drive on Nov. 10, the Jasper Food Bank Society will also be holding its annual general meeting on Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m at the Anglican Church.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
