Achi news desk-
After the lightheartedness of April Fool’s Day, the Calgary Food Bank took a serious step forward to address hunger in the community. In partnership with QR Calgary, Global Calgary, Bowest Appliances and World of Spas, it launched the first April Foods Day.
Throughout March, Bowest Appliances and World of Spas accepted donations in their stores.
On April 3, 2024, the QR Calgary crew collected the donated goods, totaling approximately 680 pounds of food, and delivered them directly to the doors of the Calgary Food Bank.
Calgary Food Bank CEO Melissa O expressed gratitude for the community’s support, emphasizing how heartening it is to see everyone come together to help those in need.
“It means a lot,” From said. “Our community steps up in incredible ways every day to make sure we can feed Calgarians. Having said that, it’s been a very difficult two years.”
Stephanie Campbell, a five-year food bank volunteer, highlighted the ongoing fight against food insecurity, saying “Not all of us are that far from having to be here.”
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The latest Hunger Count report from Food Banks Canada shows that the use of food banks across the country, including Calgary, is at an all-time high. In March 2023, there were almost two million visits to food banks across Canada, representing a 32 per cent increase compared to March 2022.
“The need has never been greater,” said From. “The reality is that in addition to having a growing city, Calgarians face those daily pressures of inflation, rising mortgages and a higher cost of living.”
In this challenging landscape, community partnerships like April Foods Day are more important than ever. Campbell emphasized the impact that even small contributions can have on someone’s life, underlining the importance of joint efforts to fight hunger.
“If we’re just a small part of someone’s story… how far does that really go,” Campbell said.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
