EDMONTON – The 104 Street Steering Committee presented Edmonton’s Food Bank with a cheque for $15,000 Friday morning.
The money was raised during the 104 Street Al Fresco Block Party in August. The merchants, businesses, and residents of 104 Street also collected over 900 kilograms of food for the Food Bank.
“104 Street is absolutely unique in downtown and in Edmonton because it has been vendors at the ground floor, merchants on the ground floor, about 100 business above that and then 1,000 people living above that, and they all come to the street in and out of the same door,” said Jon Hall, 104 Street Steering Committee co-chair.
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READ MORE: Number of people using Edmonton Food Bank jumps by 14%
The Edmonton Food Bank said the donation is timely because the organization has experienced an increased number of people needing its service since Sept. 2014.
“With the turn down in the economy people have lost their jobs, some people have had their hours cut back and stuff,” said spokesperson for Marjorie Bencz, Edmonton Food Bank.
“We are really struggling for new dollars and new sources of food so this really helps comes in handy for us.”
WATCH: Edmonton Food Bank seeing record demand
The Food Bank is handing out more than 2,000 hampers each month than it was a year and a half ago.
The most alarming statistic is that more than 40 per cent of its clients are under the age of 18.
The Al Fresco Block Party had a hiatus for two years before this summer. The 104 Street Steering Committee plans to continue the event next year.
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