Spring Food Drive assisting Interfaith Food Bank

By Lethbridge Herald on March 30, 2022.

Ry Clarke – for the Lethbridge Herald

Loblaws Canada is launching its annual Spring Food Drive running from March 31 – April 17 and donations will be accepted in-store at Loblaws locations across Lethbridge at Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, and Wholesale Club. 

Donations will be directly supporting the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge. Neil Heaton, operations manager at the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge says the big focus of this year’s food drive is to emphasize the importance of year-round donations. 

“Unfortunately, a lot of people only think about food banks at certain times of the year, like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Yet, the need is there throughout the year. It’s events like this that allow people to realize there is still a need for the 12 months of the year, not just the heavy months.”

While many people donate to food banks during the holidays help is needed year-round. Loblaws 2021 Holiday Food Drive in December raised over $2.1 million in-store donations with over two million pounds of food for food banks across the country. Donations help provide the community with essentials when they are in need with over 486 hampers served per month and an average of 1298 adults and 823 youth served monthly. 

Tonya Lagrasta, senior director of sustainability and social impact with Loblaws says communities are driven to help and support and every dollar donated goes a long way to help contribute.

“Similarly, just one or two items added [in] your cart for the in-store donation bin becomes hundreds of pounds of food when the entire community gets involved.”

Donations will be accepted at any participating Loblaws across Alberta, and will be accepting monetary donations as well. For those looking to donate the drive will be accepting non-perishable items such as cereal, pasta, canned foods, and baby formula. 

Heaton says that fresh food items are accepted but to bring those directly to food banks.

“We’re also always in need of fresh items like dairy, and produce. Those ones, though, we would suggest that you bring to the Food Bank as opposed to putting in one of the bins at the stores because they are only collected a couple times a week.”

“What a lot of these events are really important for is the awareness. Whether or not we receive tons of food from the Food Drive, it’s that awareness that keeps people thinking about us throughout the year, too.” 

Heaton says that Food Drives, like Loblaws, help spread awareness to the community and help year-round donations continue during the slow times. 

“If you’re interested in participating, head to your local Loblaws retail store, or you can always come down to the Food Banks and volunteer.” 

If you are interested in volunteering or donating the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge is located at 1103 3 Ave N or they can be reached at 403-328-0521.

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