The Lethbridge Food Bank is starting a new pilot program designed to bring its services to its clients.
The mobile food support program will transport food to different parts of the city, setting up tables and tents in parking lots where people can come select items.
“One of the things we realized is access to the food banks is quite hard in Lethbridge,” Lethbridge Food Bank executive director Mac Nichol said. “Both major food banks are quite close to each other, so if you live on the south side or far on the north side… it’s hard to access our services.”
The program’s first date is scheduled for Sept. 21 at the Alliance Church located on Unviersity Drive, followed by another pop-up on Sept. 29 at Lethbridge’s Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
“We’ll start with perishable items, then eventually build them into our full services so people can access these things closer to their home, without needing a car or taxi to take them to the food bank itself,” Nichol said.
The program will run between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on both days and the food bank plans to make mobile food support a consistent program throughout the city.