Ahead of the Thanksgiving long weekend, officials with the Lord’s Food Bank in Rocky Mountain House say it is keeping up with demand, but it’s been more difficult than ever.
The increased demand has been particularity acute over the last 12 months says David Mark Carter, executive director of the Lord’s Food Bank.
He says its seen a lot of new people coming into the community and needing support while they get settled, while a lot of other people are just struggling in general with the increased cost of living.
The increased cost of living can come from increases to rental costs, as well as people renewing their mortgages at higher interest rates, says Carter, which leads people into a situation of needing extra support.
Even with the increased demand, Carter says the organization is coping.
“So it’s manageable, but it’s a lot more expensive,” says Carter. “I’ll put it this way – we’re not dealing with a very big cushion. When we do get a lot of food in, it tends to go out very quickly”
He adds, the organization isn’t putting together any special Thanksgiving hampers, but notes several local churches are doing Thanksgiving food drives for them, which often includes donations of fresh turkeys as well as a lot of garden produce.
Carter says he looks forward to the coming months, as he says people in Rocky Mountain House are particularity generous during the holiday season.
Upcoming fundraising efforts include the Rocky Kinette’s Halloween Ghosts and Ghouls event Oct. 31 at the Lou Soppit Community Centre, as well as the annual ‘Stuff A Cruiser’ which is scheduled again this year.
The Lord’s Food Bank is located at 4911 52 St. Cl. in Rocky Mountain House.
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