Helping Hands has reached an incredible milestone, announcing $2 million worth of food has been rescued through its Free Food Sheds.
"It’s a lovely milestone, and it’s definitely inspiring,” says April Baird, food security programs manager at Helping Hands.
"We've been doing this now for just over three years and the totals add up and they just continue to get to these outrageous numbers, and when we reach numbers like that, it's pretty inspiring."
The grassroots program collects unsellable yet edible food from local grocers and redistributes it for free through two community food sheds.
One at St. Andrew's United Church and the other at the Bow Valley Baptist Church.
"It takes a very lovely, engaged and dedicated volunteer army," says Baird.
"We have more than 60 registered food rescue volunteers, and they put in over 4,000 hours each year."
The program operates year-round, with the only day off being Christmas.
RELATED STORIES:
- Helping Hands Society opens a second Free Food Shed in Cochrane
- Helping Hands opens new store expanding food access
- Helping Hands volunteer hours soared in 2024
With another major milestone achieved, Baird says the idea of a third food shed pops up often but isn’t on the immediate horizon.
"They’re so well loved and well used," she says. "But we’d need more volunteers and grocery partners to make a third shed sustainable."
For now, the focus remains on maintaining the current program and supporting continued growth.
"We’re just keeping on and doing the work the community has asked us to do," says Baird. "There’s been a lot of growth and change, so we’re staying grounded."