Local volunteers spent Saturday serving lunch and collecting donations to help keep the shelves stocked at the Chestermere Food Bank.
The Rotary Club of Chestermere held the four-hour food drive Aug. 29 outside Seun and Alexandra’s No Frills at 100 Rainbow Rd. Shoppers were invited to contribute food or money while volunteers offered hot dogs and pop between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Several city councillors attended the event and publicly thanked Rotary and the Chestermere Men’s Shed for supporting the food bank. Members of the Men’s Shed assisted the Rotary Club during the collection.
No Frills owners Seun and Alexandra partnered with Rotary to host the drive and provide a convenient collection point for residents doing their weekend shopping.
The event focused on practical items needed by the food bank. Its published wish list included canned vegetables, soups, beans, oatmeal, flour, cooking oil, coffee and juice. Household supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap and cleaning products were also requested.
The Chestermere Food Bank provides several forms of assistance to people facing food insecurity. These include regular food hampers and a Bread and Extras program for residents needing additional short-term support. It also operates seasonal initiatives, including school backpack and Christmas hamper programs.
Organizers had promoted the drive as a simple way for residents to help their neighbours by adding one or two needed products to their grocery carts.
Photographs shared after the event showed Dean with volunteers at the collection area. However, organizers had not released a final donation total or a complete list of participants by publication time.
The Saturday drive demonstrated how a grocery trip, a donated item and a few hours of volunteer work can be combined to support Chestermere families experiencing difficult circumstances through a straightforward, locally organized weekend effort.