Estevan's Salvation Army exceeded its 2024 holiday fundraising goal by raising over $130,000—surpassing its target of $125,000. Ronza Reynard, Salvation Army Communities Ministry Director, said the community's involvement was exceptional, with monetary donations, food drives from schools, churches, and businesses, as well as a strong volunteer effort during the Christmas Kettles campaign.
“We had lots of people walking in monetary donations. We had lots of different companies, churches, and schools doing food drives. So our shelves are nice and full,” Reynard said. "Our backroom has some extra stock in it, which is always great.”
Reynard added that the donations will help carry the food bank through to the spring, with plenty of stock available to meet needs. "I’m pretty confident we’re going to get to March with this because there was so much,” she said.
While the mail-out campaign faced delays due to the Canada Post strike, many people still opted to donate in person, which allowed for meaningful face-to-face interactions. "People came in and brought their donations. It was so nice to meet some donors who give regularly at Christmas," said Reynard, who noted that this was a rare opportunity to connect with donors. "We just see their name on the check, and we don’t know who they are. We were able to say, ‘OK, now I know who this person is and to be able to say thank you in person.’”
“We’ve just had a few checks kind of sneak in here at the beginning of the year that still qualify for Christmas, so that is a great success for us, and we are very appreciative of the community," Reynard said. "The support that we get from our friends and neighbours. People see what we’re doing and want to be part of that.”
Donations will mainly go toward Estevan’s food bank to help fight food insecurity. In 2024, over 3,000 people accessed the food bank, with 300 of them being new clients. “It just says to me that next year, that could be 300 more people who access the food bank, and so we continue to see that,” said Reynard, explaining that the rising cost of groceries has made it harder for people to make ends meet. “$100 for groceries doesn’t go as far as it used to. We want to provide services for everybody who needs that little extra help.”
Reynard pointed out that many donors are individuals who once relied on the services. "People will say, if it’s the older generation, they might mention that their grandparents or great-grandparents said the Salvation Army helped them in one of the wars, and they've always been taught to give back," she said. "Some people just know there’s a need and they want to help somewhere, knowing they’re supporting a good cause.”
“People just find themselves in a situation sometimes and need that extra help. We’re here to do that, and we have programs," said Reynard.
Although the food bank remains the Salvation Army's primary focus, donations also support other important programs, such as the seniors’ lunch, which is offered twice a month at no cost, and the Salvation Army’s summer camp and backpack program, which provides essential school supplies for around 100 children each year.
“We have a program called 'Pathway of Hope,' where we take someone under our wing for three to six months and help them set goals and achieve them.”
Reynard emphasized that many donors are individuals who once relied on the services. "People will say if there’s the older generation, they might say my grandparents or great-grandparents said that the Salvation Army helped them in one of the wars, and they've always been taught to give back," she said. "Some people just know that there’s a need and want to help, knowing they’re supporting a good cause.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Reynard said their goal remains to meet the growing needs of the community.
“We live in Canada, and we have people struggling to put food on the table,” Reynard said. “We want to be one of the groups that can help people.”
Reynard also expressed gratitude for the community's ongoing support. “A lot of our clients are monthly clients if not all of them. Some are every couple of months, but it still means they’re still coming, and we’re just thankful that we can be here and have a food bank that meets the needs of the community.”
She closed with a message of appreciation for the people of Estevan and surrounding areas: “Thank you to Estevan and the surrounding area for supporting us and partnering with us to keep our doors open and keep the food bank well-stocked and available to people.”