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Salvation Army launches food drive

Heather Lange
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 7, 2011

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
In Yellowknife, where most can get to the grocery store without worrying about money, citizens may forget about the members of the community who are struggling to put food on the table.

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Stacey Van Metre, a case worker at the Salvation Army, bags rice into one of the food hampers handed out at the Salvation Army. Additional perishable food like dairy products and bread are added just before delivery. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo

The Salvation Army has been giving people hope and food since 1882 and is once again collecting donations for its annual Food Drive at the Yellowknife Co-op this Saturday.

"It's one of our largest food drives that starts at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. We will also have our Salvation Army kettle on site for the food drive," said Stacey Van Metre, case worker for the Salvation Army.

Katimavik youth volunteers will have prepared 250 hampers. People can either donate food or buy a hamper to donate back to the Salvation Army at the cost of $25.

"Usually around the summer months is when we really start running low and our shelves are really low right now. This is one of the biggest things going on with the Co-op and a lot of the donations will fill up the shelves.

"We also had Turkey Farmers of Canada come in and make a monetary donation. This year on top of selling our pre-made hampers we are also asking the public to donate a turkey if possible. The turkeys will be used at the Thanksgiving turkey dinner and if there is an abundance we will use them for Christmas food hampers as well," said Van Metre.

The emergency food hampers are given to members of the public who request one. One food hamper is allowed to be given out to an individual or family per month.

"It will hopefully help them out until they can purchase some food," said Van Metre.

"We give out at least 30-50 food hampers per week so in one month we can give out a lot of hampers to mainly low-income families or single-parent families."

The Salvation Army also receives bread from Shoppers Drug Mart, Yellowknife Co-op, North Best Food Distributors and Food Rescue on Mondays and Thursdays, which is available to anyone in the front entrance of the Salvation Army on 45 Street. Food Rescue also regularly donates dairy products.

Van Metre said this year the Salvation Army has joined the Food Banks of Canada and, thanks to a donation from the organization, were able to buy a freezer to store meat.

In the spirit of giving, the Salvation Army will also be holding a Thanksgiving feast this year on Sunday, Oct. 9 from 12:30 p.m to 1:30 p.m.

Then starting Monday, the organization will begin its Christmas donation drive.

"We will be moving right into Christmas and starting our Christmas meetings on the 11th of October. Last year we were well into 300 Christmas hampers just in Yellowknife and then we also sent out to ten outlying communities. The hampers included a full turkey dinner and gifts as well.

"There is also the sponsor a family (program), formally called the Adopt a Family Program. We give a list of the ages of children to interested persons, and then wrap and give them out with the Christmas hampers. Nov. 1 is when we are accepting applications for our Christmas hampers," said Van Metre.

Corrine Jones, a business development manager with the Yellowknife Co-op, said being a community-run store, the Co-op wants to support the Salvation Army.

"It's a good cause. There are a lot of problems in the North and they are there to help the people who need the help. Its a local chapter and we are a community-run store. Salvation Army is great for helping the community so we want to help it," said Jones.

"They will be doing a barbeque here on Saturday that we will be assisting with. They do it right outside the exit door," said Jones.Hotdogs will be handed out

at the barbecue free of charge.

Jones also said people can drop off food donations at the Co-op's food drop-off box near the exit at anytime or donate to the Salvation Army at the till.

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