ATHABASCA - A growing need for space, and a growing need in general, is becoming a growing challenge for the Athabasca Good Samaritan Mission food bank, but a donation from the Athabasca Lions Club last week will provide another piece as they fundraise toward their $60,000 goal, which will then be matched by the provincial government.
Lions president Mark Neaves and treasurer Rod Cunanan met food bank president Kerri Daniels at the Advocate office Dec. 8, to hand over two cheques — the annual $1,000 donation the club usually donates, along with another $1,096.10 donation that included $96.10 from the July 1 breakfast the club held.
Daniels said the food bank is feeding more and more people from a larger and larger area every day, including 30 new people in just the last week. With food banks closing down in Boyle and Smoky Lake recently, she expects that number to continue to rise, even as they struggle to keep up while utilizing the space they have to the very fullest.
The food bank serves residents in the M.D. of Opportunity, M.D. of Lesser Slave River, Lac La Biche County and beyond as well, and is becoming somewhat of a hub for those travelling from miles around, offering not only food hampers to those who need it, but clothing and hygiene items and sometimes just a shoulder to cry on.
The mental health repercussions of the pandemic are also clearly being seen on the site, Daniels said, and they provide what support they can.
She also mentioned a number of newly emigrated Ukrainian families are also using the service and helping out at the facility too, but sometimes aren’t dressed for the weather, so they try to help out there too.
Athabasca Good Samaritan Mission Association has been a registered charity since 1995 and is located 10 minutes north of Athabasca, just off Range Road 220.
