Sometimes good news stories and bad news stories are about the same subject.
In recent months we’ve celebrated on our front page the generosity of St. Albert residents for the St. Albert Food Bank, gathering more than 70,000 pounds of food from the community at September’s fall food drive, and then more than $100,000 in cash donations led by the T8N 100 Men’s fundraising challenge in October.
Then comes the more recent news that about 1,300 Christmas hampers will be delivered to St. Albert families this season between the Food Bank and the Kinettes – a new record, but not one to be happy about.
That’s nearly one home out of every 20 in St. Albert. If ever you needed a reminder that hunger and poverty don’t magically stop at Edmonton’s city limits, there it is.
Charities of all kinds face increasing hurdles everywhere. The same economic pressures of inflation and stagnant wages decrease people’s ability to donate at the same time as they increase demand for help from those charities.
Add in a postal strike to disrupt the flow of holiday season donations and we have the makings of a perfect storm. The Salvation Army reported last week that its local donations are about $20,000 below where they were last year due to the choking off of mail-in contributions. Nationally, they’re affected by as much as 50 per cent. While the post office is back at work, there’s no doubt the effects of the strike on charities are going to be significant this year.
For those of us who can give – and we understand there are fewer this year – it’s going to require more of an effort.
It’s not just a matter of tapping your card when you pass the red kettle at the grocery store. Please seek out your charity of choice and ask them what they need – and do as much as you can to help them.
If you don’t feel you’re in a position to do that, a small donation at the red kettle is still a good idea – but instead of hitting them once a season, make it every other shopping trip. A toonie every time can add up to some significant help that doesn’t feel quite as painful.
If you can’t do that either, consider spending some of your time volunteering to help those organizations helping to feed the increased need, such as the Kinettes (http://stalbertkin.ca/christmas-hamper-campaign).
Thanks to those of you who have given to support the need in our community, and to those who will give now.
The good news – and it’s important to end this with some good news – is that we already know the generosity of this community. It shone in September and October.
Now that the need is more dire than ever, we know it will shine again.
