Donation to The Salvation Army in Yellowknife Helps Feed Hundreds of Families
As part of an annual Thanksgiving tradition, The Salvation Army in Yellowknife received a large donation of food with the help of long-time partner Lakeshore Co-op grocery store. This contribution will help hundreds of families currently accessing the food bank.
Every year, the store hosts a food drive, packaging food hampers that are sold to customers. The baskets are then donated by the buyers to The Salvation Army.
“We’ve had this partnership with Lakeshore for over 20 years now,” Major Tony Brushett from The Salvation Army in Yellowknife explains. “Typically, we get 250 to 400 hampers. But this year we got 600.”
Record-Breaking Support
This has been the most hampers the Army has ever received through this food drive. The food donations are valued at nearly $20,000.
Although the food is provided by Lakeshore Co-op, volunteers from The Salvation Army assist in packaging and selling the hampers to potential donors.
“The Saturday before Thanksgiving, we get a group of volunteers to go in there and sell the hampers that are donated back to us,” Major Tony says. “This donation will probably help our food bank supply through the middle of November.”
The hampers include non-perishable food items such as soups, beans, canned vegetables, tuna, peanut butter, rice and macaroni. The staff at the food bank includes extra items whenever possible.
“If we are fortunate enough to have fresh produce or eggs at the food bank during that time, we’ll put it in the hampers along with the other items,” Major Tony adds.
Strengthening Food Bank Sustainability
This fall food drive helps sustain the food bank during the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a crucial support considering the high cost of groceries across the country, which is forcing more people to access food assistance and donors to give less, as they may not be able to afford it.
“Without these donations, we would be forced to give less food out to individuals accessing the food bank. Our food resources were down a bit and we were reaching the limit of our food budget, so this is very significant for us,” Major Tony shares.
For a small city like Yellowknife, with a population of only 20,000, partnerships that support The Salvation Army are crucial, especially given the high demand for the food bank.
“It is critical for us to have these partnerships. We nurture these relationships throughout the year,” Major Tony says. “We cannot thank Lakeshore Co-op enough. They are always the first to jump up and say, ‘We are going to help.’ We are also thankful to any individuals or organizations that help us. They make things so much better for us to be able to help those who are in need.”
New Donors Are Always Welcomed
Looking ahead, The Salvation Army in Yellowknife is preparing for the Christmas kettle campaign. Fundraising over the next few weeks is crucial to support families during the holiday season.
“Our door is always open for food donations. Even if you are not sure about what to donate, monetary donations are great, because we typically take every dollar that is donated and turn it into two, three or four dollars’ worth of goods thanks to our local partnerships.”
By Juan Romero
Photo: Major Tony Brushett and Justin Nelson, general manager of Lakeshore Co-op stand with hamper bags
