Syed Hassan runs a non-profit charity organization called Love with Humanity Association which helps Calgarians having a tough time feeding their pets.
The association just opened an outdoor food bank for pets outside the Albert Park/Raddison Heights Community Association hall in southeast Calgary.
Since it began in 2018, Hassan’s organization has opened 14 small outdoor food banks for people in the Calgary area, along with 39 little free libraries stocked with books in a multitude of languages.
The food banks for people and pets operate out of custom-designed outdoor cabinets, filled with donated items.
“We’re helping out in this tough time,” Hassan said. ”Whatever you like, it’s open 24/7 – take a blessing, leave a blessing.”
Hassan runs his charity while working full-time as a manager with a heavy equipment company.
“We came here from Pakistan and we faced challenges, and so that’s why we started these initiatives, to give back to the community,” Hassan said. “From the bottom of my heart, I do my best for our Calgary.”
Debbie Todd has been coming to the new pet food bank to get food for her dogs Violet and Bacardi.
“Right now, I’m having a bit of a tough time and there’s just some days where you don’t know what you’re going to do to feed your dogs, so this means the world to me,” Todd said.
“I wouldn’t want to give these guys up and some people have to give them up because they can’t feed them anymore – so this is an absolutely fantastic idea.”