’Tis the season when Lethbridge shows how generous  a community we are according to the Lethbridge Food Bank.
   “It’s a very busy time,” observed Tonya Woolford, executive director at the Lethbridge Food Bank.
With tough economic times and the increasing cost of living, Woolford knows all too well how close to the edge a lot of people are living, especially at Christmas time, when holiday-related costs are piled on top of everyday expenses. For some, such as a single mother paying a $900/month mortgage, for instance, an ununexpected vehicle breakdown can put her in a real financial pinch.
“A lot of the people who use the food bank are the working poor, so sometimes they have to decide whether to put gas in their car to get to work or buy groceries. They have to make that choice,” she said. “So many people are really close to the line.”
This year, the Lethbridge Food Bank is helping out 2,500 households spanning the range of students, seniors and single parents. That number represents a 25 per cent increase over 2010, according to Woolford.
She noted there are several reasons the food bank is busier this year, including a wet spring that affected a lot of seasonal employees, the increasing cost of gasoline and the overall rising cost of living.
“The university and the college have food banks so a lot of students go there, but we get some students here, too,” she continued.
Fortunately, the people of Lethbridge have stepped up to lend a hand. In addition to dedicated volunteers who have already finished packing the Christmas hampers for December, there are a cornucopia of fundraising events being held to raise money and donations to the food bank. Some of the fundraising events happening throughout December include craft sales and unusual events such as oil changes and stuff the bus at Save-On-Foods. My Service Company is presenting “Flush Out Hunger,” that offers $100 off the purchase of a new toilet or $150 off the purchase of a hot-water tank.
“Probably the most unusual was the peanut butter tower,” Woolford said. “We collected 1,000 pounds of peanut butter and built a tower out of it in November.”
Lethbridge businesses have held their own fundraisers for the food bank earlier this year, including a group of doctors from the Campbell Clinic who had a “food fight.” This year, Able Dental Group donated the proceeds from the fourth annual 100 Mile Bike Ride — from the B.C. border to Lethbridge — to the Lethbridge Food Bank and the Lethbridge Association For Community Living.
The annual golf tournament during the summer was another successful event for the food bank.
There are also numerous Christmas concerts in Lethbridge this month at schools including Chinook High School and G.S. Lakie on Dec. 7, and the 19th annual Mayor’s Christmas Concert on Dec. 10 featuring the Lethbridge Community Band Society at Southminster United Church. It begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $12 for seniors and students.
And it wouldn’t be Christmas without Rotary Club of Lethbridge Sunrise’s annual reading of “A Christmas Carol.” The fourth annual event at Southminster United Church on Dec. 9 has not only attracted more people every year (464 in 2010) but has also raised more money for the Interfaith and Lethbridge food banks ($5,699 in 2010.)
“It’s an unabashed extraction of money from people‘s pockets to give it to the food bank,” said Richard Tamkin, who is a complete contrast to Ebenezer Scrooge, the character he usually dresses up as during the event. He will be the MC this year.
Several local personalities and actors dress up as the characters from the Charles Dickens Christmas classic, and read the story.
This year, the readers include Sheila Matson, George Mann, Jordanna Kohn, Kade Hogg and Jeff Carlson.
There will also be a variety of live music from Bridge Brass, Con Moto Choir directed by Patti Caven, Olivia Earl, David Elniski accompanied by Eleanor Lawson, Bill Laycock, Adam Mason and David Mikuliak with Sheldon Arvay.
“It’s a great story that really gets people into the spirit. It’s the time of the year we give money to the food banks. That’s the whole point,” said Judi Reed, one of the organizers.
She said the proceeds are split 50-50 between both food banks, who appreciate the extra cash.
“That way they can buy exactly what they need,” Reed said.
Woolford is touched people think of supporting the food bank when they plan and attend these types of events.
“Lethbridge is very generous. They’re huge for us,” she said.
Lethbridge Food Bank works with the city’s other food banks and charitable organizations, including the Salvation Army and the Interfaith Food Bank, to ensure the hamper contents are consistent.
And the need for donations is always great. The wish list consists of both dried and canned soup, cereal and oatmeal, peanut butter, canned meat and meals, canned vegetables, ground beef, turkey or chicken and children’s items like pudding and fruit cups, fruit snacks and granola bars plus individually wrapped items. Christmas hampers include all the fixings for a Christmas feast including turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce and more. Cash is always appreciated.
“If one event raises enough money just to pay for the turkeys, then that helps a lot,” Woolford said.
Volunteers are essential to the food bank. Woolford estimated there are more than 100 volunteers helping throughout the year.
“We’re always getting calls from people asking ‘what can I do,’ ‘ what can I do,’” she said.
The food bank also consistently has groups of volunteers from Lethbridge schools working in the back sorting donations, packing hampers and “food breaking” which involves, for example, dividing 50-pound bags of flour into five-pound packages.
“We do need volunteers,” she said.
Phone 403-320-1879 for more details.