High Prairie and District Food Bank welcomes donations of cash and food. Above. Assistant food bank co-ordinator Brenda Sandford, left, and volunteer Andrew Sandford stock the shelves with food.
Richard Froese
South Peace News
Food banks are always thankful for people who donate to help keep the shelves full to meet local needs.
Demand for food usually rises early in the New Year and in the summer.
So the question is – do food banks prefer people donate food or give money?
Several food banks in the Peace region have various views.
It seems that many food banks prefer donations of funds over food items.
Food banks can use the funds for more than food.
High Prairie and District Food Bank values all and any donations.
“We need both food and money to operate,” says Kim Dumont, co-ordinator since 2006.
“It’s less stressful if we receive both.”
Donors can also benefit more by giving cash than food, she says.
“Anyone who donates to a charitable organization, like a food bank, receives a tax-deductible receipt,” Dumont says.
Funding also helps the society pay the bills, like electricity and other utilities.
“A lot of food banks rely on cash donations to operate,” Dumont says.
“We don’t rely on government funding.”
Food banks receive no regular funding from provincial or federal governments, she says.
Local grocery stores Freson Bros. and Super A Foods also offer pre-packaged grocery bags for people to buy to donate to the food bank.
Several food drives also stock the shelves.
