Flagstaff-Food-Bank-Apr-15-14

Demand at the Flagstaff Food Bank is up substantially from this time last year says Coordinator Deborah Proctor.

“We are getting new clients every week; new families, couples, and singles.”

So far, she adds, the generosity of the Flagstaff communities has allowed the Food Bank to meet the increased demand.

“We are getting very close to running out of meat, however.”

Proctor said area churches have been very generous, with a new program she approached the local ministerial group with. “It’s called a reverse offering, where every church takes a different month, and get a list of items the Food Bank needs.

“They hand out the list, with tabs for different items in the collection plates, and people take out the tabs and bring back those items.”

Proctor says she’s so glad the Flagstaff Community is so generous, especially when the need for the Food Bank is up so much.

“I wish I could tell you I was bored, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.

“It could be anybody, at any time who needs our services.”

Proctor says that with the winter coming, she’d love to see some baking supplies come in. She’s only allowed to purchase flour and sugar, and hampers are only alloted a specific amount of margarine a month for consumption.

“Things like chocolate chips, raisins, shortening, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla… we only have those items to give if they are donated.”

The Wild Rose Co-op Killam Food Store is still making bags up for the Food Bank, using an item list that Proctor provides to ensure these are items needed and used. “They are great.”

The bags are pre-made, and can be picked up and purchased, with a good variety of pricing. Once paid for, the items go to the Food Bank.

support as many of those events as possible, but with just six on the board, it’s difficult to get everywhere, as most have full-time jobs, too.

“But we are very grateful for the support the Food Bank receives,” says Board member Lynne Jenkinson.

The Food Bank has some terrific volunteers, including Proctor, who can often pick up donations in other centres and bring them in, but Jenkinson says that with Flagstaff being such a large geographical area, they ask those who collect on their behalf to bring the food to them.

If people wanted, or were able to pick up and deliver items for the Food Bank, now or in the future, or to volunteer their time to help out in another capacity, they just need to call Proctor at the Food Bank and let her know.

“We can always use more hands,” she says.

Proctor says that if anyone has questions about what the Food Bank needs, they are welcome to call.

The Flagstaff Food Bank abides under the rules of Foodbank Canada, who publish strict guidelines for the distribution of food.

These guidelines include rules for the handling of expired or past the best-before dates of donated goods.

“I am unable to include expired food in a hamper,” Proctor says. All she can legally do is place expired foodstuffs into a “Take it if you want it” bin, and she can only do that if it is within a year of the expiration date.

If donated foodstuffs are more than one year after the expiration or best before date, the Food Bank cannot distribute it at all.