On March 21, Safeway donated $10,581.57 in gift cards to the Chestermere Regional Food Bank.
The donations were collected during the Joy of giving campaign in December of last year.
“The donations of gift cards allow for us to buy fresh food every week,” said the President of the Chestermere Regional Food Bank Vicki Osanyintola.
With the gift card donations, volunteer shoppers are able to purchase fresh produce, milk, and meat for food bank clients on a weekly basis.
Safeway has been a supporter of the Chestermere Regional Food Bank for over a decade and has continued to support the food bank with making large donations of gift cards for the last three years.
“We’re so happy they continue to participate annually,” said Chestermere Regional Food Bank Executive Director Mardi Oel.
Having the opportunity to continually donate to the Chestermere Regional Food Bank and support the community is very important for the Safeway Store Manager Cyl Bagadiong.
“It shows who we are, we are residents, we are part of the community. We would like to believe that we are the heart of the community, and a big part of that is sharing blessings and helping customers.
“We are happy to be the tool for our customers to be able to share what they have,” Bagadiong said.
Over 95 per cent of shoppers donated to the Joy of Giving campaign in December, Bagadiong said.
Shoppers either donated food bank hampers or a few dollars while they were paying for their groceries, he added.
The gift card donation will help the food bank significantly, as their shelves begin to empty quickly this time of year.
“Our shelves are getting quite bare, we had a really good Christmas, and really good school drives this year, so we’re not as badly off as previous years,” Osanyintola said.
“We do a big food drive in June, and have noticed that in July and August we don’t see many donations,” she added.
Currently, the Chestermere Regional Food Bank is attempting to increase awareness in the community for residents who can help, and for residents who need help.
“People can reach out and help. We want to maintain a sense of community, we’re helping each other,” Osanyintola said.
The Chestermere Regional Food Bank will be hosting an Annual General Meeting on April 15 at 7 p.m., for residents who are interesting in helping.
