The 2024 Turkey Drive raised almost $58,000 to split between food programs run by the Cranbrook Salvation Army and the Cranbrook Food Bank.
Food Bank Executive Director Julie Rose says the donation will go a long way to help cover the non-profit’s operations.
“Our client numbers are staying about the same, around 2,700, but the client visits are up, for example, some people may have come once a month, but now they’re coming twice a month,” said Rose.
“The number of new clients who are registering is increasing. Every day, we have new people registering.”
In the last year, the Food Bank has seen an increase in people with jobs coming through their doors.
“Last year, the number of working clients was about 13 per cent of our total client base, now in 2024, about 21 per cent of our clients are working,” said Rose.
“I think that really shows the cost of living crisis that we are in, not only in Cranbrook but across Canada.”
The Salvation Army also has its own set of food programs.
“We run lunches daily, Monday to Friday, we do an evening meal on Wednesday, we also provide lunches to 150 students each day during the school year and we provide lunches for shut-ins or seniors who just come out of operations and can’t cook for themselves,” said Major Rick Robins, Core Officer of the Cranbrook and Fernie Salvation Army.
Both organizations are stepping up their food programs this December to help people through the holidays.
“The holiday season is always challenging because you have some people who can go home to family and others who have nowhere to go. We try to provide a place for people to come and go, have some food and be in a welcoming atmosphere,” said Robins.
“This Christmas, we’re planning a dinner at our place next Wednesday (Dec 18) and we’re having another one on the 22nd for our clients who come in each day to do something special and have a big Christmas lunch.”
The Food Bank is also helping out a little extra with holiday meals.
“This year we’re offering hams, turkeys and gift cards, recognizing that not everyone has the capacity to cook a turkey or a ham or they may need to allocate more money to a regular grocery bill,” said Rose.
“Numbers are high on our Christmas hampers, but we’re able to account for all of that because of this amazing fundraiser.”
Rose says she was overjoyed by the support shown by the community through the Turkey Drive.
“Every year I am just flabbergasted by the way this community shows up when there is a need. I can’t even express the gratitude I have for this community,” said Rose.
“Our client visits have increased, our donations are down and our warehouse is bare right now. We need this so badly.”
Robins also expressed his gratitude to the heart of the community.
“I think it shows the community is behind what we’re doing here. They’re really trying to help us make a difference in the community each and every day,” said Robins.
“Both ourselves and the Food Bank partner to make a real difference in the community and this donation helps with that.”
The 2024 Turkey Drive is still ongoing until December 20, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacey Brensrud hopes they can reach their $60,000 goal.
“The Turkey Drive is going to be going on a little bit longer and we hope we can meet our goal,” said Brensrud.
Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyEastKootenayNow News Alerts.
