A church’s annual community event was a much-needed blessing for the Okotoks Food Bank.
The Okotoks Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fall food drive on Sept. 18 brought in an eye-popping – and shelf-filling - amount, said Pamela McLean, the Okotoks Food Bank executive director.
“Thirty-one thousand, 220 pounds of food - it is such an outstanding number, certainly the biggest in my watch,” McLean said. “Last year’s was 26,000 and that was the biggest then.”
The food drive has become a bonding experience for families and members of the five Okotoks LDS wards at the two churches.
“The food drive means getting in the community, working with our neighbours and helping to support the communities that our congregations exist in,” said Joe Viola, the Okotoks LDS stake high councillor, who was overseeing the event. “And teaching our families and their children the importance of serving as well.
“This is quite a family-oriented event for us.”
A week prior to Saturday’s pickup and delivery to the food bank, youth members of the LDS church prepare the food bags to be distributed to Okotoks residents' homes. The bags were then delivered by LDS families. Those bags were picked up by volunteers and brought to the food bank on Sept. 18.
Viola estimates there were 450 to 500 people from the wards volunteering in the event.
That number would go well into the thousands if the number of residents who filled the bags were counted.
“The response was outstanding with more than 30,000 pounds of food,” Viola said. “It’s great to see people step up in these times of higher needs.”
The food is much needed as, while the food bank is holding its own, more people are using the facilities.
“For the first time in my three years, I actually went home and cried,” McLean said. “This person came up to me and apologized for using the food bank. What they said was by the middle of the month they just can’t swing it anymore.
“This was a family that was able to live paycheque to paycheque and now the paycheque no longer covers that full month.
“I stand back in awe of our clients’ resiliency. They just get out of bed and they soldier on.
“When we are able to share the biggest food drive in my history, it has to give them some hope. That we are not alone and we will get through this together.”
She speculates the huge haul will help the food bank make it to Christmas.
The food will be used for the Okotoks area, but if there is a need in other communities, the food bank will help.
And the Okotoks LDS wards will celebrate the fact it was able to help.
“For us the celebration is knowing that we have given back to the community,” Viola said. “To help with the unity of the community.”
A similar food drive was held by the High River LDS church on Sept. 18.
