Food Banks Alberta
We are all experiencing it – the rising cost of inflation is continuing to hit Albertans hard. Food shortages and families in need continue to make headlines in our province and unfortunately, the problem becomes heightened during the holidays. Arianna Scott, CEO of Food Banks Alberta reported last year that “Food bank use in Alberta has gone up 73 percent since 2019.”
Food security in rural areas is no exception. With a focus on investing in our communities, UFA identified a critical need and stepped forward with a new initiative last December. A Holiday Food Bank Drive was launched at all 34 of our Farm & Ranch Supply stores, plus 35 UFA Petroleum agencies, covering a total of 57 towns over the Christmas season.
Feeding Communities
It was heartwarming to receive the following message from Jason Lyver, Development Manager, Food Banks Alberta, “Food bank use in Alberta continues to rise, with our 113-member food banks across the province. The generous UFA Food Drive that took place in December 2022 came at the perfect time to spread some holiday joy across our province. Thank you!”
“I was really proud to report that, through the efforts of our entire team, we were able to donate more than 1,560 pounds of food to local food banks,” says Kimberly MacDonald, Manager, Community Investment at UFA. “It was our first year organizing a network-wide initiative like this and I think we were successful in building a strong foundation.”
This fall we will be ready to collect food donations again and hope to really tip the scales and do our part in supporting our communities. Watch for the donation bins and boxes at our UFA locations starting in November.
