The Okotoks Food Bank will be serving thousands in a new home in short order.
One of eight charities supported by the 2019 Western Wheel Cares campaign, the Okotoks Food Bank Association is moving from its Stockton Point location to a larger facility at 32nd Street and Stockton Ave. to better suit its needs and those of the thousands of clients who rely on their services.
“The main reason for moving is consolidation of space,” said Pamela McLean, executive director of the Okotoks Food Bank Association. “The food distribution area is physically quite small. We have to limit it to eight people at a time. Given that winter did start in October this year, one of the harder parts of my job is standing at that door, counting in eight people and then shutting the door in the face of that ninth of that cold, hungry person. It’s very hard to do.
“I absolute hate it, it’s not who we are we. We don’t pick and choose who we feed and yet our physical circumstances are dictating that. Yes, they get in eventually, but they have to wait and I just think, the indignity, they’re already hungry and using our services and then not being able to let them in when they arrive.
“I will be so glad when we don’t have to do that anymore.”
Since first launching in 1985, the Food Bank has had a number of homes. The association originally operated out of the St. Peter’s Anglican Church and were in the basement of the Okotoks United Church prior to moving to its present location at Stockton Point.
“It was 2013 that they moved into their new home thinking that would be the forever home, for at least 10 years,” McLean said. “Then 2014 happened. The downturn in the oil patch, in particular, had a huge impact on the entire Alberta economy, but especially southern Alberta.
“The demand was phenomenal. By 2015, that space, just a little shy of 2,000 square feet, just couldn’t handle that demand anymore.”
In 2016, the food bank added its office space and small warehouse space, totalling just over 2,000 square feet, a couple units down from its original Stockton Point facility which has created more than a couple logistical issues.
“Having a team dispersed in two separate building is awkward to begin with and then you throw winter in there,” McLean said. “Our poor warehouse co-ordinator, he’s pushing two to three hundred pounds of food back and forth in the cold, on that slippery parking lot. The health standards make my hair curl.”
Moreover, the need continues to grow.
In 2019, McLean estimates that the total of people using the help-yourself shelves will be close to 20,000. This year there is also at least 100 new clients for the hampers, an increase of two to three per cent.
“I look at our economy and I look at the current political party and the constant cuts they seem to be making, especially around social services, so the board and myself we just see the current need may not grow substantially, but it’s not going to subside either,” she said. “Alberta has not diversified its economy and so, if anything, we see the food insecurity issues growing even a little more in the entire Foothills County area.
“Okotoks has been viewed as a hub, as a food distributor for at least the last three years, we distribute everything. So we just thought ‘let’s strengthen that position and see what we can do by becoming a hub for Southern Alberta.’”
The new location will be approximately 2 ½ times larger than its current space and with a more warehouse specific area, it will allow for the food bank to tap into regional resources like never before.
“We would be able to have proper stacking of food, at least three stacking high, if not four, be able at some point to use a fork-lift in there,” McLean said. “Be able to take advantage of the food that is being offered by Calgary Food Bank and Food Banks Alberta, basically for free, if we had the capacity to store the amount of food and to accept it on pallets. We can’t do any of that here right now.”
The addition of goods from the other food banks should help McLean with one of her goals for 2020, cutting the present day food budget from one third to one-quarter which would help to off-set the higher lease payments at the new facility, while there are also plans to sub-lease part of the space. The owners of the facility also generously offered the food bank three months rent free as it settles in and makes the gradual move.
“I don’t want our donors and sponsors to worry too much and I certainly don’t want our clients to worry,” she said. “There’s been a lot of thought put behind this move, we have a lot of statistics behind it.”
McLean said she’s hoping to officially open at the new location on the first Monday of February.
Okotoks Food Bank warehouse co-ordinator Mark Edwards could be one of the biggest supporters of the move to a bigger and more logistically friendly facility. Edwards estimated he’ll be able to free up as much as one-third of his work time at the new facility, allowing for his hours and volunteer hours to be directed in other ways in a safer environment.
“I am delighted about it,” said Edwards. “I know a lot of people have the emotional attachment to this location … but the need has outgrown the purpose here – from every perspective, health and safety perspective, comfort perspective from all of the clients and our volunteers.
“The movement of material, handling of material it will be more conducive to doing that, a lot easier, a lot safer and a lot more streamlined.”
Other 2019 Western Wheel Cares campaign recipients are Pound Rescue, Foothills Country Hospice, Magic of Christmas, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inclusion Foothills, Rowan House Emergency Shelter and Sheep River Health Trust.
Donations to the Western Wheel Cares campaign can be made via credit card, debit, cash or cheque (payable to Western Wheel Cares) at #9 McRae Street, mailed to Box 150 Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2 (please do not mail cash) or by calling 403-938-6397. Visit www.okotokstoday.ca to donate using PayPal.
Donations of $10 or more will receive a 2019 official tax receipt at the end of the campaign.
For more information call the Western Wheel office Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 403-938-6397 or email Gayle Wolf at [email protected]
