For the second year in a row, Edmonton’s Food Bank has fallen short of its goal to collect 50,000 kilograms of food donations at the Heritage Festival.
The food bank collected 22,000 kg of food over the three-day festival last weekend. Last year, 29,000 kg of food was collected at the festival over the August long weekend.
The Heritage Festival is the food bank’s largest fundraiser and there is still time to donate. The food bank collects donations for the annual food drive from the Monday before the festival until the Friday following the festival. When you factor in donations that have come in before and after the festival so far, the food bank said it is sitting at 36,000 kg of food.
“We’ve still got a ways to go,” said Marjorie Bencz, executive director of Edmonton’s Food Bank.
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It comes as demand for the service is also up. Bencz said about 600 more people received hamper service this July compare to July 2017. On average, Edmonton’s Food Bank serves between 20,000 and 23,000 people per month.
Donations of non-perishable food items can be dropped off until Friday at any Edmonton grocery store or fire hall.
Unused Heritage Festival food tickets can also be donated. Those will be cashed in to buy food.
In total last year, 60,844 kg of food, $37,000 in unused food tickets and $62,838 in monetary donations were collected at the Heritage Festival.
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