Flagstaff Food Bank looking ahead to leaner years – loss of Community Spirit grant will have big impact

The Flagstaff Food Bank is in good shape donation- and food-wise at this time, says Treasurer Diane Gordon, but she says the loss of the provincial Community Spirit Grant is really going to hurt the organization over the long term.

“The funds from the grant covered our building and operating expenses,” she says.

Gordon thinks the organization can go into their savings for about three years, but then will be looking for other ways to keep a roof over their heads.

“Everyone likes their donations to go directly to helping others,” she says, “and I understand that, but keeping a roof over our food is important too.”

She says cash donations are used now for purchasing foodstuffs that are needed over the year, which is often meat.

“Many farmers have been very generous this year,” she says, “we have had a lot of meat donations.”

Canada Revenue Agency requires food banks to convert food donations into a cash equivalent, using a set figure they supply to convert every pound to a dollar amount.

Donations to the Food Bank last year in food and cash totaled more than $87,000.

The organization’s expenditures on charitable activities, including occupancy costs and vehicle expenses of around $9,600, was $95,384 with an equivalent of $34,459 designated as the fair market value of all donated goods that flowed through the Food Bank.

The Community Spirit Grant and fundraising activities made up the difference in 2013, but with just a few dedicated volunteers, Flagstaff Food Bank has limited fundraising time and volunteer capital to spend.

The Food Bank operates out of the former county shop in Killam, and Gordon says that cash donations can be dropped off any Tuesday or Thursday morning, or mailed to the Food Bank, to her attention.

The Community Spirit Grant, discontinued by the province of Alberta in the 2013 budget, allowed non-profit organizations to apply for a grant equalling the total of the charitable donations received over $1,000.

The province continues to allow Albertans to deduct charitable donations on their income tax returns.

The Flagstaff Food Bank provides charitable receipts that individual and corporate donors can declare on their federal and provincial returns.

Leslie Cholowsky
Editor

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