The Alberta Motor Association has announced this year’s holiday fundraising campaign to help address provincial food insecurity.
This year, the AMA has set up a virtual food drive, where interested Albertans can shop at the online grocery store, select food items they wish to donate, and the equivalent value will be directed to their local food bank on their behalf.
According to Jane Flower, Vice-President of Corporate Purpose for the AMA, 100% of donations from Grande Prairie will be donated to the Salvation Army in Grande Prairie.
“You can target your donation to your local community, so 100 percent of the donation you make stays in your local community.”
According to the Salvation Army, one in five Grande Prairie residents depend on the foodbank each month, and the AMA reports around 174,000 Albertans accessing provincial foodbanks monthly, a 94 percent increase since 2019.
“One in every five folks… that’s somebody on your street, that might be somebody that you work with,” Flower says. “We’re hearing across the province that the uptick in foodbank usage is from people who have jobs, but who because of rising costs, just can’t make those dollars stretch to the end of the month.”
Flower adds that the virtual food drive is not the only option for residents to donate. She says the Grande Prairie AMA Centre is accepting physical food donations until December 15th.
Additionally, interested residents have the opportunity to book a Community Mobilization Kit, which provides applicants with everything they need to host their own neighbourhood food drive.
Flower adds this year, the goal is to raise $225,000 and 50,000 lbs of nonperishable food items provincially to support Albertans beyond the holiday season.
“Hunger doesn’t know a time of year, in some ways our desire or our opportunity to be charitable is often more present during the holidays but the need persists year-round.”
Anyone interested in getting involved is encouraged to visit the AMA’s website or the Grande Prairie AMA Centre to donate or book food drive kits.