In the next few days, families and friends will gather throughout the Southeast in celebration of Thanksgiving. To ensure they all have enough food on the table – not only during holiday seasons but year-round – Steinbach’s Sobeys grocery store is once again taking part in the Fall Food Drive.
“We’ll be participating like we have in the last number of years,” says Sobeys franchise owner Lee Kotowicz. “We’re always excited for any chance to help the community with food hampers for South East Helping Hands.
From Friday, October 11 to the holiday Monday of October 14, Sobeys will be doing its part to fill the shelves at the local food bank. Shoppers can make food donations, and the store’s staff and numerous volunteers will assemble healthy hampers that customers can buy for $10.
“Those hampers will have the most-needed items, such as canned goods, pasta and peanut butter,” Kotowicz explains. “They’re easy to grab and drop off, and last year we sold more than 200 of them over the weekend. They go directly to South East Helping Hands.”
While Sobeys has the food in stock and the personnel to package the hampers, the Fall Food Drive remains a customer-driven initiative.
“This doesn’t happen without our customers,” says Kotowicz. “We have the groceries, but it’s our customers who are purchasing the hampers, and we have the most giving customers. It always reminds me of how lucky we are to have them.”
He adds: “People around Canada know how giving this community is.”
Sobeys staff are also heavily involved in the event – something that comes naturally, given their collective commitment to the community.
“They’re amazing community members who also give and want to do well for their community. So it works hand in hand,” says Kotowicz.
But it’s never lost that the focus of the Fall Food Drive is the families and individuals who rely on South East Helping Hands to fill their plates.
“Thanksgiving is coming up, which means a lot of family gatherings,” Kotowicz reflects. “We want everybody to have the chance to get together and experience joy at this time of year.”
Steinbach’s Sobeys is located at the Clearspring Centre and will be open and assembling food hampers through Thanksgiving weekend – 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Monday. The store can be reached by calling 204-326-1316, and additional information, such as sale flyers, can be found on its website.