Weekend meals at the Grande Prairie Community Kitchen will soon be available, after $200,000 in funding from the City of Grande Prairie to the Grande Prairie Salvation Army.
Executive Director Captain Peter Kim says the money is being used to support two areas facing a crunch from the ongoing food security crisis felt by so many in the region.
“$100,000 for the Community Kitchen is going to go to weekend feedings, so we can actually provide meals on the weekend as well,” Kim says. “Because traditionally we have been doing Monday to Friday, three meals a day, and now with that money, we can help feed those who are hungry on the weekends as well for an entire year.”
In 2021, the Community Kitchen made 4,838 meals and in 2022 the number jumped up to 9,450 meals.
The other $100,000 will help the food bank meet the needs of the community members who continue to need to access it. Kim says in 2022 the foodbank saw 12,682 new individuals served, which is the equivalent of around 1,410 new households.
“Most of our families coming in are families with children, there are a few individuals, but the majority of the people who are accessing our food bank and even our community kitchen are with children.”
He adds close to 80 per cent of the people who access the food bank have children.
Kim says as the need for the food bank and the Community Kitchen continues in the region, the need for support is still there as well. Every week the food bank will be posting what it is running low on or are in need of on the Salvation Army Grande Prairie Community & Family Services Facebook page.