Scott Hayes | [email protected]
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The line of clients at the is getting longer, leaving the community resource digging deeper into its pockets to help all of those people.
That is why the food bank鈥檚 chair Megan LeBlanc has a lot of her hopes pinned on the outcome of the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser at the end of the month.
鈥淥ur needs are sky high,鈥� LeBlanc said.
Ever since the beginning of COVID, the number of clients has been increasing steadily. It鈥檚 at the point now where the food bank is hitting record numbers of users each week.
Last week, it served 52 hampers, which roughly translates to approximately 100 people. A busy day before the pandemic was a fraction of that 鈥� six hampers. It鈥檚 a dramatic upturn in demand, one that has been complicated by a surge in grocery prices, which has resulted in a decrease in donations.
鈥淭his is happening all across Canada, and yeah, it's scary,鈥� LeBlanc said.
鈥淲e've got this tiny little town and we鈥檙e completely volunteer run. We're, I think, helping a lot of people, and people are starting to really rely on it, because it's a bit of a dire situation with inflation and just the economy in general being difficult.鈥�
In order to keep up with its growing client list, the food bank buys extra groceries out of its own pocket.听
That added expense comes to $5,000 every month just to keep up with the status quo. That figure doesn鈥檛 even take into account the likelihood that its client base will continue to grow.
This makes for one big reason why the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser is more important than ever.
鈥淚t involves a fun walk through the community to raise funds and awareness for homelessness, food security issues and mental health issues,鈥� said Rev. Linda McLaren of the Jasper United Church, who is also an organizer and board member for the food bank.
To the casual observer, it might seem like someone who needs a food bank only faces a financial challenge. The reality, however, is much different. Not being able to afford one鈥檚 own food typically brings a host of mental wellness challenges as well.
That鈥檚 why the will be sharing the proceeds of the fundraiser. The non-profit organization works to build our collective wellness.
鈥淏oth of those organizations are feeling an increased need in the areas that they provide support,鈥� McLaren said.
With such a dire situation affecting more people over time, it will take more people working together for the sake of the community. LeBlanc said that the food bank has a solid crew of volunteers working behind the scenes, though more hands always make for lighter work.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always looking for more,鈥� she said.
Whether or not you can commit to being a regular volunteer, the option to go for a walk one evening is available to all.
McLaren calls the event a 鈥減eer-to-peer鈥� fundraiser, meaning that it鈥檚 more involved than a simple donation drop-off. Participants can create a team with family, friends or co-workers and all are encouraged to use whatever means at their disposal to reach out to encourage donations.
The Coldest Night of the Year event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. It has two distances for participants to take: either a two-km or five-km route. People can start by signing up at聽 .听
As of Tuesday, 12 teams with 43 walkers had signed up, with pledges reaching more than one-third of the goal. LeBlanc was already thankful, saying that the community of Jasper has always been caring and has always stepped up with its generosity.
鈥淲hatever we do get will be wonderful, because every dollar helps,鈥� she said.
