Yellow bags are being left at homes across the city as the Interfaith and Lethbridge foodbanks’ look to Target Hunger in a big way this weekend. Target Hunger is a city-wide initiative that will help restock the shelves at both facilities, with all food collected going towards feeding families in Lethbridge and the surrounding region.
Executive Director of the Interfaith Foodbank Society of Lethbridge Danielle McIntyre says bags have been delivered to approximately 40,000 households across the municipality, and she is hopeful that the community once again comes together in a big way to help those who need it. She adds the number of families facing food security issues continues to grow, making drives like this more important than ever.
“We are very grateful to live in a community that is supportive of our foodbank, which makes it very handy in serving those who do have food needs in Lethbridge,” she says.
“Between the two foodbanks’ we are doing about 3,000 individuals a month that don’t have enough food on the table, so food drives like Target Hunger help us to make sure there is enough for every community member here in Lethbridge.”
McIntyre says the last three years have been challenging for the foodbanks in the area but suggests that difficulties faced not only by the organizations but members of the public have put the greater issue of food security under the microscope.
“If there was a silver lining to the pandemic, it was that food became an issue that actually hit the table, and I think a lot more people one can find themselves in a situation where they can’t find their own groceries,” she adds.
Volunteers will be heading out on Saturday, June 11th to pick up filled bags from across Lethbridge. In 2021, residents contributed over 73,000 pounds of food, the highest total ever collected.