EDMONTON – Many of them have experienced homelessness first-hand, and now female inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre have started Feed the Streets, collecting donations for those in need.
“Though we don’t have a lot to give in our situation, we do have a warm place to sleep and we do have three meals a day. There are a lot of people out there that aren’t as fortunate.”
Tracie Cheeseman is one of the inmates spearheading the food drive. All proceeds are going to the Edmonton Food Bank.
“They said ‘let’s feed the streets… we’re just off the streets ourselves. We’ve all been cold, we’ve all been in that place,’” explained Collette Cullen, a correctional officer at the Remand. “And they decided they were going to collect canteen – non-perishable canteen.”
The women are incarcerated, and therefore cannot leave the facility to collect donations. However, they decided to donate items from their personal canteen – the facility’s concession stand – purchased with their own money.
“A lot of girls don’t have a lot to work with as far as donating,” said Cheeseman, “they’re getting a few items themselves. We wanted to increase donations so we turned it into a bit of a challenge. We made some posters, put them up, encouraged girls to donate, and it just took off like crazy.”
Cheeseman’s unit challenged staff and other units to match its donations.
While serving time, prisoners can earn $5 a day by completing chores, like laundry.
Cheeseman says many of the women are putting that money directly towards the Feed the Streets food drive, to buy items for the Food Bank.
“It is huge. I am so proud of some of these women… who don’t have a lot to give, and so to see them give up the one or two items that they get is huge.”
“It’s pretty impressive,” added Cullen. “I’ve never seen such a thing here.”
“To come in here and to give what little they have to start with, it’s huge.”
“Even people that didn’t have anything were like, ‘I’ve got $3 in my account, I’m going to get noodles, and donate it’… Never before have I seen such a thing, particularly in a remanded facility, never before in corrections.”
Cullen believes the Feed the Streets food drive will grow and become an annual event at the Remand.
She encourages other people in Edmonton to think of the Food Bank as well, and support the organization in any way they can.
Cheeseman says the cause is one that resonates with many of the women.
“I think a lot of women in here have had some experience themselves with the streets, or know someone in their family or close to them that may be experiencing that now.”
Plus, she says, it makes them feel better.
“Being separated from your family – especially women with children – at Christmastime, they can feel pretty low about themselves. It gives them a reason to feel good about themselves – doing what they can.”
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