A $1-million donation to Saskatchewan food banks from Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. will help restock shelves and expand community services at the Saskatoon location.
Food bank officials and PotashCorp CEO and president Bill Doyle announced the donation -the largest ever in Saskatoon food bank history -Friday at the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre warehouse.
The money is split among 19 food banks and nine affiliated operations located in com-munities such as La Ronge, Yorkton, Humboldt and North Battleford.
“People cannot build healthy lives or contribute to their community when they are hungry,” Doyle said.
The Saskatoon Food Bank received about $425,000 from the donation. CEO Paul Merriman said the money will be used to buy food, for renovations and to expand community services.
“When we need to fill in gaps in our food bank, now we have the resources to do so,” Merriman said.
Some money in Saskatoon will pay for the food bank’s milk program, while the organi-zation plans to expand its community centre to offer office space for organizations without a physical location. Merriman said rent will be free or cost $1 per month.
Friday’s donation accounts for about 35 per cent of the annual budget of the Saskatoon Food Bank.
Saskatchewan food banks will use the money to restock shelves with essential foods.
Most food banks outside of Saskatchewan’s major cities are run by volunteers, said Food Banks of Saskatchewan executive director Bill Hall.
“It’s always a struggle for these small food banks to meet demand,” Hall said.
“It’s a challenge to find the food and fundng.”
Food bank usage grew in the past year, says a food bank report. About 22,600 people used the Saskatoon food bank in March 2010, a 20 per cent increase from the same month the previous year. The Regina food bank received about $293,000.
“Our vision is a community where no one goes hungry and that requires a great deal of innovation and support,” said Regina CEO Wayne Hellquist.
jjwarren@thestarphoenix.com
Comments