Encana employees gave the Okotoks Food Bank reason to celebrate last week.
The food bank received a cheque for $15,350 from the Encana environmental health and safety team March 6. The donation was from a live auction during a staff function.
“We didn’t have a Christmas party so we organized a February post-holiday team get-together,” said Todd Martin, an Encana employee. “We decided to raise some money for charity.”
Employees each donated something to a live auction, with the stipulation that items must be something created or a service offered. There was a homemade cake, hand-knit scarves and lined coat hangers, handmade signs, a motorcycle ride and a gift certificate for three people to come into a home and enjoy a German feast, among other prizes.
“There were about 60 of us there and we ended up raising about $7,600,” said Martin, who ran the auction.
To decide on the charity, everyone put the name of an organization on a slip of paper and the Okotoks Food Bank was drawn from the hat.
Because the food bank is a registered charity, it qualified for Encana’s 100 per cent match policy, which brought the total to $15,350.
“We do what we can as a family to support the food bank anyway,” said Martin. “It’s a charity I hold close to my heart, so I was ecstatic when they pulled it.”
Sheila Hughes, executive director of the Okotoks Food Bank, said they were thrilled to hear about the large cash donation.
“When I got the call about it, it just made my day, made my week, made my month,” said Hughes. “We were pretty honoured and flattered he put our name in the hat.”
While she said donations from Christmas still have the shelves fairly well-stocked with non-perishable items, Hughes said an injection of cash can help with weekly shopping.
The food bank spent about $90,000 in 2017 on fresh food and replenishing the odd shortage of specific items like peanut butter or pasta, she said.
“We’re always in need of funds so we can keep purchasing our fresh food,” said Hughes. “We’re always pushing so at least 45 or 50 per cent of our hampers that go out to feed our families are fresh food.”
She said the food bank sees more and more families coming for help. They’re usually looking for ways to put nutritious food on the table aside from non-perishable food items, she said.
Hughes said there are other initiatives on the horizon that the Encana donation may help with as well.
“There are programs we’re looking into, trying to do them slowly and roll them out the best way we can,” she said.
Some of those might include a way to help out children in summer months when they no longer have access to school breakfast or lunch programs, she said. The food bank also plans to look at more outreach in the community, she said.
“We’re looking at ways we can help people get out of cycles and what that looks like we’re not exactly sure yet,” said Hughes.
“I think there’s some things we can do for the families who need our help in the community and we’re looking forward to exploring those kind of avenues.”
