Everything is humming along smoothly at the St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village days before Christmas.
“It’s not horrible,” says Suzan Krecsy when talking about the situation of the supply and demand for food hampers.
The executive director of the food bank is actually pretty happy with how things are going even during this very busy time of year.
Without yet having a full year-end tally, she knows this year was better for the agency than the last. Even though numbers are still going up, there was a more than 40 per cent increase in usage in 2009 and that made it very tough even for her to cope.
She said there were some compelling factors in keeping things running smoothly. Her volunteer base is up to 90 from about 70 last year. Another new feature is community liaison worker Fay Lucy who has been able to help clients move through the system and get back to independence and self-sustainability much faster.
“They’ll visit with her and it might be housing issues. It might be employment. It might be counselling. She gets them in there and they don’t come back.”
She added the community at large has been generous and supportive. This is especially true since many other food banks struggle to get donations.
“St. Albert always comes through for us.” When asked if times ever get lean, she responded, “All I have to do is call [the Gazette], it goes in the paper and it’s done.”
There are 110 families who are getting a special Christmas hamper from the agency and there is a lot more food on the shelves. It makes her otherwise difficult job a whole lot easier.
“We see all the need. We see how distraught people can get because what’s out there are advertisements for perfect families, Christmases … perfect everything and they can’t attain that. It’s pretty hard for them.”
The food bank will have different hours for the next week or so. On both this Friday and next Friday, it will be open from 9 a.m. to noon. It will be closed on Monday, Dec. 27 and Monday, Jan. 3. The community village will be available on Jan. 4 and the food bank back open for regular hours on Jan. 5. Call 780-459-0599 for more information.
Krecsy ended by saying that it doesn’t matter when the call comes. Even if it’s on Saturday, people will still be able to get food if it’s needed.
“Nobody will go hungry. Nobody will miss Christmas.”
