The St. Albert Food Bank is pushing itself to the limit, and not just in terms of its capacity to serve the growing needs of a community in crisis. It has also recently embarked on a major construction project to maximize its internal storage and programming spaces.
“When you see the increase in the number of folks that are coming in, it makes the renovations even more relevant. Last year, we brought in 716,000 pounds of food. We need the space to store it. We need the space to have our community partners providing service. It is a very necessary thing,” explained Suzan Krecsy, the social agency’s executive director.
“The need to have a bigger, better organization here ... the need is there.”
That volume of food coming in is an over-capacity situation, she continued, despite a corresponding rise in outgoing food hampers. In 2018, that figure was approximately 556,000 pounds of food being brought in. It’s easy to see that the food bank needs more shelves to manage the logistics of all of that product.
The increase is a nice problem to have, she admitted, as the alternative means a dearth of donations.
A more efficient warehouse was definitely the first order of business. To accomplish this, old vestiges of the building’s former life (as an industrial bay with vehicles) have been removed and a new mezzanine floor is being added in. That floor will offer further storage capacity but it will also boost programming area with a 1,400 sq. ft. multipurpose room plus extra office space.
This will be a boon to the food bank itself, its Community Village operation, and its more than 20 other community partners, which include the St. Albert Family Resource Centre, the city’s Family and Community Services and Supports department, Stop Abuse in Families, St. Albert Victim Services, the RCMP, Parents Empowering Parents, the St. Albert Hospice Society, and many others.
“It would be my dream to have this as a social hub, so when our folks come in, they come in through one door and get their needs met.”
The full construction project is being broken down into different phases in order to manage it effectively time- and budget-wise and without interfering with the food bank’s regular hamper program.
She added that anyone who wants more information on how they can help or support the renovation can call her directly at 780-459-0599 or send her a direct email to [email protected].
