The Yellowknife Food Bank has just been given a nearly $3,000 donation!
Over the weekend of August 27th and 28th, True NorthFM partnered with Rochdi’s Independent Grocer and held a Summer Food Drive. All weekend long, customers at the uptown Independent were encouraged to make small donations to lend a hand to the local food bank, which has been struggling in recent weeks.
Colleen McLean, a representative of the Food Bank, helped to explain some of the challenges they’ve been facing.
“The Food Bank buys things that we really need, especially when some of our clients ask us if we have any butter or margarine or lard, and lately we haven’t. The same with eggs, or fruits or vegetables. I couldn’t believe it when I went down there a couple days ago. Rice and pasta, and all the canned goods. There’s almost nothing on the shelves.”
The Food Bank has been low on food items for some time, and hasn’t had enough to meet their demand.
“We have varied families, we have small families, we have single people, we have homeless people come by, and it changes every few weeks.”
Rochdi’s Independent partnered with Gas Town, Bartle and Gibson, The Medicine Shoppe, and Coldwell Banker Northern Best Sellers, and were able to raise $2,960 to help restock the shelves of the Food Bank, and to also help raise awareness of the situation to the rest of the city.
Some city residents who donated were also repaid for their kindness, as Rochdi’s Independent and some of the other sponsors gave away several prizes, including a tv and a BBQ, shirts and hoodies, and various gift baskets.
