With the holiday season also comes a high water mark for donations to local food banks. The Bonnyville Friendship Centre has a decent stock at the moment with a number of food drives coming in, but there’s still many areas where they need more.
Executive Director Pauline Mawer says cookies and crackers are in particularly short supply. Peanut butter, jam, peanut free snacks, juice boxes, and canned meat are low as well. The Friendship Centre also accepts donations for things other than food. Toiletries such as toilet paper, shampoo and feminine products are accepted too, which helps out the less fortunate in the community.
Another alternative donation that might not come to mind at first are gift cards to local grocery stores. Food banks can’t take in items like milk that go bad very quickly, so a gift card is a good work around. Of course, cash donations are always a good thing too. Donations tend to dry up somewhat after Christmas, and the Friendship uses whatever money they have to get through those slower months.
“I’m thankful and I’m blessed that I live in a community that gives when there is a need,” says Mawer. “I’ve lived in Bonnyville my whole life. I’m just continually amazed and blown away by the kindness of this community. If it weren’t for this community. If it wasn’t for the community we would be in dire straits. There are those that are able to give and they readily give and they’re glad to give. They see what we’re doing and they see where their money is going.”