The Good-Buy to Hunger Campaign officially wrapped up on Dec. 16 with a delivery to the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank of approximately 19,000 lbs of food, facilitated by a crew of firefighters using a trailer supplied by Ottawa Real Estate.
“I know the Co-op worked really, really hard to sell all the bags that they did, and they ended up selling 18,190 bags (as of Dec. 16),” said Terri Smith, operations manager at the food bank. “That’ll be a great boost to our food supply. This is the time of year that we try to collect as much food as we possibly can, because throughout the rest of the of the year, donations start to go down.
“So, we’re just very grateful that the community stepped up and was there to support the food bank, which in turn supports their neighbour, their co-worker, their friend, in a time of need.”
The Co-op will continue accepting donations right up to Christmas Day.
The campaign is a dual effort between the Co-op and CP Rail. The CP Holiday train stopped in Moose Jaw on Dec. 6 at 4:30 p.m., covered in lights and featuring Tenille Townes and Aysanabee, and accepted non-perishable donations as part of the campaign.
Gabrielle Belanger, a supervisor at CP Rail who has helped organize the campaign since its beginning in 2008, said the CP Holiday Train’s Moose Jaw appearance was a bit cold and early this year, but it was still a good show.
“It was great to see the people that did come out, especially for the strange time, because it was 4:30 in the afternoon,” Belanger noted. “It was extremely cold. It was very, very cold that day, but people still dressed up and endured those temperatures.
“I thought (the food drive) went very well … and the community came together for another successful year.”
Tim Wonsiak is the grocery manager at the Moose Jaw Co-op. He squeezes every dollar to get the most for the food bank each year.
“It’s a pretty exciting time. I start building and buying product in October, and I try to find the best deal for all the canned goods and stuff. You know, if I can save a dime on a can of beans, it goes a long way.”
Wonsiak, Belanger, and Michaela Turner, marketing manager at the Co-op, communicate with the food bank so they know exactly how to help meet their needs. That helps maximize the usefulness of each donation.
“We take the guesswork out of it for the customer, for what the food bank may need,” Wonsiak explained. “I talk to Terri (Smith) all the time, like, ‘What do you guys need?’ and that way I’m able to search it out and find the best possible deal.”
Food banks across Canada are feeling the strain as inflation and supply chain issues create record numbers of people needing extra help. Campaigns like Good-Buy to Hunger can make a life-saving difference in some cases.
“2022 has definitely seen more of a need than any other year,” Smith said. “So, we’re very grateful.”
