Yellowknife (Mar 31/03) - The Yellowknife Food Bank is fortunate enough to have a variety of local sponsors to keep them going. One such sponsor is the Yellowknife Co-op.

Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op member Tony Fontanilla hands over a coupon from the store's food bank donation program to employee of the month Flo Brown. - Erin Fletcher/NNSL photo

"We couldn't survive without the Co-op," said Yellowknife Food Bank president Dave Ritchie.

Last year Co-op members donated $14,000 through a special coupon program.

Based on the B.C. Sharing program, the membership started the coupon program in 2000. Beside every till are three coupons for $2, $5 and $10 amounts. The coupon can be scanned at the till and added to a customers bill.

At the end of every month the Co-op cuts a cheque for the food bank. The more than $1,000 a month pays for one third of the food bank's monthly operating budget of $3,500.

"The food bank is part of our community and the Co-op supports the community," said Margaret Woodley, Co-op manager of membership and public relations.

Co-op members also donate hundreds of pounds of food to both the food bank and the Salvation Army.

"People simply just shop and drop it in the box," said Woodley pointing to the two wire cages at the store's exit. The Co-op also donated broken packages -- like juice box bundles -- and dented cans to the food bank.

Christmas is an especially profitable time of the year. Company Christmas parties like Diavik and BHP donate hundreds of pounds of food and monetary donations.

Every November, Subway hosts the "Food for Food day." Customers are encouraged to bring in non-perishable food donations in exchange for a free sub. Last year the event collected over 1,300 pounds of food, said Ritchie.

The only challenge -- besides always being in need of more money and food -- is that the Yellowknife Food Bank can't accept perishable food. Bread products aren't useful because the food bank lacks freezers to store the food.

Leftover bread from local grocery stores is usually donated to the Salvation Army, said Ritchie.

The Yellowknife Food Bank serves an average of 60 families, or 240 people, a month. It's open every other Saturday.

It has an annual operation budget of more than $50,000.

Food donations can be made at the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op or Extra Foods locations in Frame Lake and downtown.