If you're a client of the St. Albert Food Bank then you'd better pay attention to which gates are about to close and which ones are about to open.
Because the Lions Village Inglewood housing project is starting construction sometime in January, the regular way of reaching the food bank is going to shift permanently from the west access ramp (on the Canadian Tire side) to the new, east access ramp.
"People will no longer be able to access us from Inglewood Drive," explained Suzan Krecsy, the agency's executive director, right after learning of the change on Monday.
"They will be accessing us from Bellerose. Right beside Dr. Cooper's place, there's an entrance there and it has a gate. That gate is going to be opened. That's how people are going to have to access us."
She said that this change is only a minor wrinkle in the food bank operations and that all services will continue to be fully operational. There will also be new signs put up – "all over the place," Krecsy says – directing people to the proper path.
"It is a change. It is going to be a little bit different. Once the build starts and even after it is finished, we will not have any vehicles in front of the food bank any more."
"It's a done deal so we just have to make it work," she added. "We'll figure it out."
Since the facility's three bay doors will soon be obsolete, Krecsy has already started trying to figure out how the operation of the food drive will have to change in September. Usually, those doors are the centrepieces of unloading and sorting during the annual one-day major intake.
Demand up, donors responding to the call
On Monday Krecsy was still busy preparing special holiday hampers for more than 150 families to pick up on Tuesday. This annual tradition provides an extra boost to the pantries of struggling families.
Krecsy said that demand has surged over the last year. In 2010, only 110 hampers were distributed. The spike in usage in 2011 has been met by an increase in donations. She always says that St. Albert will never fail the food bank. Of course, more donations would always be welcome but the cupboards aren't bare.
"People are really responding quite well to that need. Certainly our donors are still coming to us and giving us stuff, so we're very fortunate here," she said, referring to how her agency relates to the many other non-profit charities that are suffering from decreasing donations.
Interest in feeding the food bank sees several high points of the year, this being one of them. Well-known local artist Alan Nuttall recently raffled off a new Rock'n August print at a recent chamber of commerce luncheon, bringing in $830 for the cause.
"I thought that by donating that, it would give [Rock'n August] some exposure and also it would do a little bit of good for the food bank. Anything for a good cause, right?" he said.
Krecsy was thankful for the donation of money, especially given that she has a new project in the works.
Community village renos
Work will soon begin on the second floor of the food bank's community village, which helps disadvantaged residents achieve independence, personal safety and improved quality of life. The facility is creating an advocacy office, a training room, plus other offices as well that will be available for rent as meeting space.
This means much-needed new programming as well. Community liaison worker Fay Lucy has seen more than 400 families this year, and successfully closed files on about half of them.
"She does an amazing job but we're getting up to three new families per week," Krecsy added.
The facility is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The St. Albert Food Bank is located at 50 Bellerose Dr. For more information, please call 780-459-0599.
