Over a decade of giving back to the community

Times Contributor

 

Dedicating your time volunteering can be tough, but completely rewarding, which is just one reason why Ed Zachruik is still helping out the food bank after more than 10 years. 

Ed’s face is well known, though some people may not know why. He has been a driver with the Wheatland Food Bank for about six years and is now the man the cheque is handed to. 

“I was taking care of the van and the drivers and we just come up with a PR to somebody to go pick up the cheques and then I let another guy take over the driving part and I went PR,” said Zachruik.

“I enjoy working with the food bank staff there, they are really good people to work with. There’s a bunch of women who volunteer and do all the packing and unpacking stuff like that, and the drivers work countless hours there and it’s all (done through) volunteers.” 

Zachruik was a member of the armed services for 22 years before retiring. 

“When I retired from the service I bought grain for 15 years, and hobby farmed at the same time. Then I retired for good,” said Zachruik.

Zachruik has been married for 53 years, and his two children and four grandchildren live in Calgary and Cochrane. He and his wife moved to Strathmore from Maple Creek, Saskatchewan 12 years ago, and since that time he has also been a volunteer with the veterans.  

“I volunteer with the veterans from Colonel Belcher, I’ve been volunteering with them since we came here,” said Zachruik.

Colonel Belcher is a veterans’ care home that has become a part of Carewest in Calgary.

Zachruik still takes turns driving for the Wheatland Food Bank and doesn’t see his participation and volunteering with them stopping anytime soon. There had been some concerns about the future of the food bank with the recent changes to Wheatland FCSS but Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Town Linda Nelson confirmed that such programs will continue to run and there is no need for panic.