Area food bank in good shape

By Janet Kanters, Editor

Despite tough times being experienced by some folks due to loss of jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the area food bank remains in good shape.
According to Lynette Aschenbrenner, executive director with Wheatland County Food Bank, hamper requests have actually gone down since the pandemic was declared back in mid-March.
“I just don’t know if it’s the stimulus money (for people) that is coming through or what,” she said. “We were actually busier before the pandemic hit than we are now.”
The Wheatland County Food Bank has put some safeguards in place to ensure safety for everyone. For instance, the building itself is restricted to volunteers only. When someone calls for a hamper, food bank personnel explain the pick-up process. Pick-ups are still on Friday afternoons.
The food bank also continues with its Wednesday bread pick-up, but it is now self-serve with the bread left outside the door.
As far as food supply, Aschenbrenner said the food bank is in very good shape.
“The donations are coming in hand over fist. It’s crazy,” she said.
Part of the increase in donations, she added, is due to Sobeys hamper packs. “When you walk in their (Sobeys) door, they have a wall of hamper packs, and people just grab them and put them in their cart and donate them to the food bank. We’re getting hundreds of them because Sobeys is such as amazing store.”
Aschenbrenner said they’re seeing hamper packs from Co-op as well, and people and businesses are donating other foodstuffs and supplies every day.
“We’re very ready,” she noted.
Last week, the provincial government announced it is providing $5 million to support food banks and community organizations in their food supply efforts.
“As we navigate through this crisis, we must work together to support Albertans in need,” said Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s minister of Community and Social Services, in a news release. “We are focused on making food and shelter supports readily available and will continue to ensure our most vulnerable and at-risk people have secure access to food throughout this pandemic.”
Aschenbrenner said she’s not sure yet how and when any funding will get to them.
“We have to apply for it,” she said. “I’m still trying to navigate that. It’s coming through Food Banks Canada, funnelling through Food Banks Alberta and then we have to try to get it.”
In the meantime, Wheatland County Food Bank continues to accept donations. Donations of food can be dropped off on Wednesday mornings between 10-11 a.m., Thursday mornings between 9-10 a.m. and Friday mornings between 8:30-10:30 a.m. Aschenbrenner said people should call ahead to let them know they will be dropping off and to leave donations outside the door. Drivers are also picking up from the donation bins at Sobeys, Co-op and No Frills daily so donations can be made at those locations.
To learn more about donating, or to request a hamper, call 403-324-4335 or email (info@wheatlandfoodbank.com).