The Chestermere Safeway donated $7,803.13 to the Chestermere Food Bank on April 21.
“The Chestermere Food Bank is overwhelmed by the community support we receive on an ongoing basis,” said the President of the Chestermere Food Bank Laurie Dunn.
“Receiving [gift cards] during these uncertain times will allow us to furnish gift cards with our hampers for clients to purchase fresh food to supplement the non-perishable items provided by the Food Bank,” she said.
The donation was made possible from the Joy of Giving fundraising campaign in part of the Sobeys Inc. Holiday Fundraising Campaign in December 2019.
“Any amount that was raised for a day was doubled by the company, because of the pandemic food bank needs funds as soon as possible,” said the Chestermere Safeway Manager Cyl Bagadiong.
For roughly two weeks, Safeway customers were asked to donate to the Chestermere Food Bank while paying for their groceries.
“We asked every single customer to donate,” said Safeway Head Cashier Nina Beyer.
“For the food bank, it’s easy to collect donations. People are always willing to donate to the food bank, they just want to make sure the money is staying in the community,” she said.
During the fundraising campaign, Safeway was not only supported by shoppers, but also by the Chestermere High School band, who played inside the store for customers.
Donating to the Chestermere Food Bank is extremely important for the Safeway staffers.
“The company and Safeway Chestermere strongly believe that the bond in the family is always being made around the table,” Bagadiong said.
“We always think about families who don’t have food on the tables. For us, it’s not only food. It goes beyond food, it goes beyond having something in the pantry, or having something on the table,” he said.
“That’s what the store believes, that’s what our staff believes,” he added. “It’s very important that nobody is left behind, especially during a time of crisis.”
Currently, the Chestermere Food Bank’s weekly wish list includes canned tomatoes, canned mushrooms, coffee, tea, jam, jelly, honey, pancake mix, syrup, beans in tomato sauce, sugar, sidekicks, instant oatmeal, chicken noodle soup, hand soap, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, shampoo, dish soap, Kleenex, deodorant, and pet food.
Food Bank donations can be dropped off in the bins at Safeway, and Eric’s No Frills.
The Chestermere Food Bank is continuing to offer breakfast and snack programs for families with students who are no longer receiving support from schools while learning at home.
The Chestermere Food Banks Breakfast program provides nutritious meals to children, while the snack program provides non-perishable snacks to students.
Families requiring assistance can access programs weekly through the Chestermere Food Bank self-referral program at http://chestermerefoodbank.ca/self-referral/.
