The Veterans Association Food Bank is located at a nondescript strip mall in Edmonton’s west end. From the outside, it appears deceptively small. But step inside and you see a cavernous warehouse space decorated with flags.
The largest flag, a Lest We Forget flag suspended from the ceiling, lists the names of 158 Canadian Armed Forces members who died in Afghanistan. It’s a sombre recognition of veterans and first responders who have served and faced challenges, often at great personal cost.
In a quick sweep of the 12,000 square foot warehouse, volunteers sit at desks welcoming visitors, answering phone calls, filling out reports and generally assisting anyone who needs help. In a quiet corner, comfy sofas are strategically placed for veteran support groups that meet in the evening.
Across from them are shelves packed with dry and canned food needed to fill about 200 plus monthly food hampers for veterans and their immediate family. Depending on the number of individuals living in a family, a household can receive between one to four packed cardboard boxes each month.
“We need to support our veterans. They served our country and now they’re in trouble because of things that happened when they were serving. Now it’s our turn to help them. We have a duty to help them," said St. Albert's Chris Casey, the food bank outreach lead.
He is a retiree from the American military and member of St. Albert Legion Branch #271. Casey works closely with homeless shelters, Edmonton Police Officers and Peace Officers in locating marginalized veterans in desperate need of supports.
“If a police officer contacts us instead of arresting someone, they call it a good day,” said Casey who has volunteered at the food bank for four years. He is currently organizing a food drive at St. Albert Legion.
Typically, Casey helps people restart their lives. A couple of hours prior to the Gazette’s arrival, a desperate homeless veteran walked into the food bank. He was sleeping in his truck and temperatures were dropping. He had no support and was running out of food for himself and his dog.
Treating the veteran with respect and as a valued member of society, Casey located a hotel room for the closely bonded twosome, gave the veteran a gift card and will help create a plan to map out a more positive future.
“My difficulty is not knowing how many veterans out there and in need. We are always looking,” Casey said.
The Edmonton-based food bank supports the region’s veterans and their families, whether they are Canadian, American or Commonwealth military personnel. Frontline personnel such as RCMP also receive equal assistance.
It is a one-stop for food assistance, employment support, financial assistance for medical and dental bills, legal and psychological aid and pet care support. In addition to boxing food hampers, the food bank also gives veterans $35,000 monthly in gift cards to supplement their income.
“There is a big demand for everything. But pets are more important to veterans than the average person. Pets are their emotional support,” Casey said. In fact, the warehouse keeps a pallet of pet food for veterans with four-footed companions.
Recognizing veterans’ diverse needs, St. Albert Legion has stepped up to assist the food bank fill the warehouse with generous amounts of food to fill 250 expected Christmas hampers. Turkey and toys for children are also part of the Christmas offering. However, Casey is concerned for the New Year.
“Around Christmas, people are very generous, but come January, everybody has VISA bills and people tighten up,” said Casey. He hopes the food drive will provide a backstop for the after-Christmas lean month.
St. Albert Legion is collecting food from Dec. 2 to 15. A general list of needed items is available at www.veteransassociation.ca or the St. Albert Legion is located at 6 Tache Street.
Below is a shortfall list of needed groceries:
• Alfaghetti/Beefaroni
• BBQ Sauce
• Broths
• Canned chicken large
• Canned ham large
• Canned fruit
• Canned milk
• Canned mushrooms
• Chunky soups
• Coffee pods or instant
• Cookies
• Flakes of ham, chicken and turkey
• Fruit cups
• Gravy canned or boxed
• Hamburger Helper
• Hot chocolate
• Jams
• Jello
• Juice Boxes, 1 litre
• Ketchup
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Pancake mix
• Pancake syrup
• Pudding cups
• Relish
• Salad dressing
• Sardines
• Snack Crackers
• Soda Crackers
• Soups
• Stove Top Stuffing
• Kleenex, toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant, body wash
