Local food banks need support all year long

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on February 11, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Mac Nichol, executive director of the Lethbridge Food Bank, talks about its operations during a tour earlier this week as a donation was made by staff at Age Care Columbia.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

A donation to the Lethbridge Food Bank on Wednesday by Age Care Columbia underscores the need for year-round help.
Staff at the care residence made a donation of $460 to Mac Nichol, executive director of the food bank located on 2 Ave. S.
Jackie Gray of Age Care said the money was raised in early December by a flea market, raffles, bake sales and donations from residents.
For Nichol, donations throughout the year are crucial for the food bank to help its clients.
Nichol said about 40 to 50 per cent of donations come to the food bank in November and December “and then we run off of that for the rest of the year.”
By February, the food bank is getting through the excess of its Christmas stock with warehouse stocks getting smaller.
“The next few months – February, March, April are a little bit tougher for us because we don’t have as much support from the community. We’re not as big a focus and we have the same amount of clients,” Nichol said.
“So it’s definitely a harder time.”
A warehouse expansion last year, which tripled its storage space, has given the food bank more versatility, Nichol said while giving Age Care staff a tour of the facility.
Donations are needed 12 months a year, whether it be food, cash or even volunteer time.
“We really appreciate any donation,” Nichol said.
Food bank operations rely upon about 80 volunteers a week to run its program. Cash is helpful, said Nichol, because the bank can buy the food it needs such as meat and perishable items that it doesn’t necessarily get from donations and it can get a better bang for the buck, stretching it farther than people usually can do.
The food bank has strong partnerships with farmers, grocery stores and bakeries whose efforts help meet client needs. A new partnership with a carrot grower will help the food bank supply produce to clients and another with an onion producer is also on tap.
The food bank makes hampers of three different sizes which are meant to last 2.5 weeks to assist clients meet their food needs, Nichol said.

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