Benefit concert raises $10K for food banks

By Lethbridge Herald on February 18, 2026.

Herald photo by JOE MANIO John Wort Hannam takes the stage, blending folk storytelling with music to support Lethbridge food banks on Friday night at Southminster United Church.

By Joe Manio

Lethbridge Herald

The vaulted ceilings of Southminster United Church were filled with music — and a sobering reminder that food insecurity affects families, students and seniors in Lethbridge every day.

On Friday night, an audience of at least 300 gathered for the annual If Music Be the Food of Love benefit concert, raising $10,000 for the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge and the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union Food Bank.

“This evening is not only a night of entertainment, it is also a demonstration of how our community can come together to acknowledge and address the important issue of food insecurity,” Deputy Mayor Jen Schmidt-Rempel told the crowd.

She noted that food bank usage in Alberta continues to climb, with nearly 31 per cent of Albertans living in food-insecure households. Closer to home, local research shows more than 20 per cent of post-secondary students regularly struggle with food affordability and access — and for roughly 10 per cent, it is an acute daily challenge.

The concert brought together the University of Lethbridge Singers, Aurora Choral and solo student performers, with folk artist John Wort Hannam closing the night. Between performances, speakers emphasized that hunger affects more than physical health — it affects academic success.

“When someone is hungry, learning becomes harr. Concentration drops, memory drops, motivation drops,” said Kavadu Sumanasena, a third-year music student and fine arts representative with the Students’ Union. “It directly affects academic success, student retention, and overall happiness.”

Sumanasena reminded the audience that food insecurity among students often goes unseen.

“It means going to class and trying to perform while being hungry,” he said. “You’re making students’ lives better — not in theory, not in conversation, but in real impact.”

Blair Rock of the Interfaith Food Bank said demand continues to rise locally, with Alberta food banks seeing a 22 per cent increase in clients in 2024. In 2025 alone, Interfaith’s emergency food assistance program served roughly 30,000 individuals.

“Minimum-wage jobs and food inflation are continuing to squeeze the working poor,” Rock said, noting that one in every two households accessing food banks has children at home.

In the second half of the evening, Hannam took the stage, blending heartfelt folk storytelling with music and personal reflection. He shared that his own family relied on food banks during his childhood.

“Me and my family, when I was growing up, we needed to go to the Food Bank a couple times,” he said. “It’s a thrill to be asked to be here for Food Bank.”

By the end of the evening, organizers announced the concert had raised $10,000, surpassing last year’s total — a tangible show of community support.

Hannam summed up the spirit of the night with a simple acknowledgement: “It’s sad that we need them, but we need them.”

Community members who wish to help can make food or monetary donations directly to the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge or the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union Food Bank. Organizers noted that every contribution — whether a few dollars or a bag of groceries — helps local families and students facing food insecurity.

For those struggling with hunger, the concert was more than a musical event — it was a reminder that the community sees them, cares and acts.