ESTEVAN — The 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, organized by Canada Post in partnership with the Salvation Army Estevan, saw a wave of community support on Oct. 26 as residents donated non-perishable food items to stock the local food bank.
The event had Canada Post employees collecting food donations from residents' doorsteps throughout the morning. These contributions were then brought to the Salvation Army, where volunteers sorted and organized the items before restocking the food bank's shelves.
"This is our 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger with Canada Post," said Ronza Reynard, director of ministry for the Estevan Salvation Army. "The need is very important in our city right now. There are some people who find themselves in different situations, and we're just trying to help them. Sometimes life happens, and you need that little extra help. So, that's what we're trying to do here: it's just a community supporting community."
The food drive aims to ensure that the food bank remains stocked with essential items. While monetary donations are accepted, Reynard emphasized that the event primarily focuses on food donations.
"Last year, we came in just over 2,700 pounds. So, we were hoping to hit 3,000. If we do that, we'll find that to be quite enough for us, and every little bit helps," she said.
The Estevan food bank currently supports over 300 people each month. Reynard highlighted that new faces are turning to the food bank every month, reflecting the increasing cost of groceries and the need for support.
"The groceries we provide are for a three-to-five-day range. We aren't the sole source of groceries for anyone, but we can help with a few extra supplies," Reynard said.
Volunteers, including Microtel employees, played a crucial role in the success of the event.
"We have a number of folks from Microtel. They've split up the day. They [were] here in the morning, and then another group [came] in the afternoon," Reynard explained.
She added that such partnerships are vital.
"It's great when we partner with different people. We're always looking for volunteers, especially for big projects."
Reynard also noted that the community's understanding of the importance of donating fresh, unexpired food has significantly improved over the years.
"We want the people who come to us to have some sense of dignity. We don't want anything going in the food bank that's expired," she said.
The event concluded successfully, with hopes of reaching their target of 3,000 pounds of donations. (The final amount of food collected wasn't immediately available).
The Estevan Salvation Army continues to accept donations throughout the year, and Reynard encourages anyone who missed the event to still consider supporting the food bank.
"People can definitely drop off monetary donations or food items. If someone didn't get picked up because they were late, we'll still take it."
The Salvation Army is also encouraging community members to partake in the Creative Food Drive in November.
"During the month of November, all businesses choosing to enter can gather donations at your place of business and make a creative display to be captured by photo," the Salvation Army said.
Photos are to be sent by Nov. 29 to [email protected]. Points will be awarded based on the quality of the items and the creativity of the presentation. The 2024 business food champion is to be chosen on Dec. 11.
Suggested donation items are pasta sauce, spaghetti, macaroni, peanut butter, oatmeal, cereals, rice, and canned items like beans, veggies, tomatoes, ham, turkey, chicken and tuna.
Last year Siever, Fonstad and Erdman won the friendly competition with a Moustaches for Movember-themed display.
