The Wood Buffalo Food Bank has seen an explosion in its daily use following the Wildfire.
From Jun. 11-30, the Food Bank provided 2,169 hampers averaging 150 per day. Prior to the fire the Food Bank averaged up to 30 hampers per day, five years ago Executive Director Arianna Johnson said they were handing out as few as five hampers daily.
“Most of our clients have never used the Food Bank before [96 per cent are first time users] and they work in the hospitality, service, janitorial and retail industry,” said Johnson. “They’ve been told to return to town so that they’re here for when their businesses are ready to open but either the business hasn’t opened yet or it has but they haven’t received a paycheque yet.”
Up to 70 per cent of clients are visible minorities.
The Food Bank has also been providing pet care kits for its clients who have pets to take care of, 185 of those kits have been doled out in conjunction with the Fort McMurray SPCA.
Thanks to some financial assistance from the Red Cross the Food Bank has cash on hand to buy items that are lacking through donations, including additional perishables which have found their way into the weekly hampers.
The biggest need for the food bank at this time is volunteers.
“What I need is bodies, I need people to come in volunteer, help to sort food, pack food, help us get hampers out the door,” said Johnson. “That’s the thing that we’re needing the most from local people.”
Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m., to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. The WBFB will be open this Saturday from 8:30 a.m., to 4:30 p.m., for volunteers as staff members need some time to restock ahead of what’s expected to be another busy week.
If you’d like to volunteer give the Food Bank a call at (780) 743-1125.
