With the rising cost of living, more Edmontonians are turning to local food banks.
One community fundraiser campaign is raising unprecedented donations to help people in need during the holiday season.
Edmonton’s food bank is one of many food banks across Alberta receiving more than $322,000 in monetary donations from the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) Fill our Fleet annual campaign.
“It just means so much to myself and everyone that’s involved because we can’t do this alone. 2024 has been a really rough year for us that Edmonton’s food bank and I know food banks across the province have been struggling to keep up with the need,” said Tamisan bencz-knight, Spokesperson at Edmonton’s food bank.
Since its establishment in 2009, AMA Fill our Fleet community fundraiser campaign has been raising donations to support food banks across the province. AMA says this year is the highest of any single-year total in the campaign’s history.
“It’s remarkable, you know people are themselves are struggling and to think that people have that sense of community, that sense of really watching out for one another we see it across the province,” said Jane flower, Vice-president of corporate purpose of AMA.
Edmonton’s food bank served about 47 thousand people through its hampers program just this October, nearly doubled from last year.
Spokesperson for Edmonton’s food bank, Tamisan- Bencz-Knight says the demand for food banks this year is unprecedented.
“That’s a huge number of people through a single program area. That doesn’t include all the meals and snacks that we’re supporting other charity partners like Hope Mission, Bissel, Boyle Street, The Salvation Army,” said Bencz-Knight.
That’s why, Jane flower, the Vice-president of Corporate Purpose with the AMA says the organization is stepping up to help those in need.
“The first 100,000 dollars raised AMA matched that,” said Flower.
“It’s all of us banding together to do what we can each do to help support our neighbours in need,” said Bencz-Knight.
In addition to the monetary funds, the campaign also gathered about more than 41 thousand pounds of non-perishable food to help fill food banks shelves across the province.