In 1983 a new service hit the Sunshine Coast. It was created to tide people over the horrible hump of rampant interest rates and a dearth of employment opportunities. This year marks the 26th year of operation for the Sunshine Coast Food Bank, and the need has never been greater.Ask Dale Sankey, the woman at the helm of this essential program, who her clients are and you soon find out no demographic on the Coast is left out.
"There are more working families, more seniors, especially women, more men from the construction industry. They just can't cover costs," Sankey explained.
And as always the key is getting in the donations. In a challenging economy, that becomes even harder than ever. Many of the folks who used to donate to the Food Bank are now clients themselves.
Fortunately for the hungry, local grocery stores come through in a big way. From the beginning, over two decades ago, Claytons Heritage Market has been an ongoing supporter. The grocer has helped to provide foods at cost, has donated items and has long been a proponent of the grocery tape program. In that service, customers save their intact till tapes and donate them to the Food Bank, which helps over the month to pay for one week of bread and produce - no small potatoes to Sankey.
IGA at Wilson Creek is also a long-time supporter of the Food Bank. The store has long provided meat at cost and donated other needed items. And it too participates in the grocery tape program.
This weekend will see the local Food Bank benefit from a national food chain. Loblaws, the parent company of Extra Foods, is hosting a National Food Drive from March 22 to April 3. It couldn't be any easier to make a donation. The cashiers will have coupons in your choice of denomination; simply add the amount to your grocery bill and a fellow citizen will benefit. Sankey hopes to have volunteers from the Food Bank at the store during the week as well to collect any donations from generous Coasters.
And speaking of those volunteers, you would be hard pressed to find a greater group of people. Stellar volunteer Joan Pratt has been a fixture at the Food Bank almost since its inception. Another pair of extraordinary volunteers, Elise Rudland and Pierette Shaw, have been there for 10 years each. These amazing women perform another important service at the Food Bank - they become part of a social network for the clients. Over time the clients get to know the volunteers as well as each other. In some cases, this is the only social interaction these folks have. Sometimes, Sankey noted, the social need is every bit as great as the physical need.
The Food Bank is one of the outreach programs of the Sunshine Coast Community Services. The Food Bank is housed in an immaculate trailer located directly behind Community Services on Inlet Avenue. There is food distribution every Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The weeks alternate between bread and produce and groceries. If you need food outside these times, call 604-885-5881 for information.
If you would like to contribute to the Food Bank and wonder what would have the most impact, Sankey has a short answer - cash. Through the buying power of the Food Bank, she's frequently able to make the donation go three times as far. For a list of the most needed grocery items, pick up a brochure from Community Services. Cash donations over $10 qualify for a tax receipt.
