The Edmonton Food Bank says it’s still a long way from its holiday goal with a week left before Christmas.
The not for profit organization says it’s less than halfway to its goals of 350,000 kilograms of food and $1.8 million in donations for its Festive Campaign.
“It is through the generosity of our donors that we are able to provide food support to the community,” said Edmonton Food Bank executive director Marjorie Bencz.
“We are urgently calling on that generosity now, because after the Christmas lights have dimmed, Edmonton’s Food Bank is still here providing food hampers to 22,000 people every month.”
READ MORE: Food Bank’s holiday campaign kicks off as needs soar in Edmonton
The food bank says it has experienced a surge in need over the last few years, with the number of people accessing its hamper programs increasing by 50 per cent between 2015 and 2018.
“Edmonton’s Food Bank receives no core government funding for programs or operations,” Bencz said.
“The generous public donations we receive during our Festive Campaign set the tone for the services we can provide now and in 2019.”
READ MORE: Can Man Dan collects thousands of pounds in donations for Edmonton Food Bank
Dan Johnstone, better known as Can Man Dan, said he has collected over 20,000 pounds of food in four days for the food bank, ending on Sunday.
It was the fourth campout he’d undertaken in just four weeks, and he said he still has one more to go from Dec. 22 to Dec. 24.
The Edmonton Food Bank is accepting monetary donations online. Non-perishable food donations can be made at all major grocery stores, Edmonton fire stations and left along Candy Cane Lane until Jan. 1.