The need for a bit of help in the community is always present, and the Salvation Army here in the southeast saw a good bit of help over 2024.
Between a variety of events put on to help raise food and to raise funds, Community Ministries Director Ronza Reynard says the community really came out over the year.
That's critical, as Reynard says that they're seeing a need for that charity more than ever, with over three hundred people using those a month.
"We continue to see the increased use in our food banks and things are expensive out there and sometimes people need a little extra assistance and we're really glad to help and the communities have supported us very well throughout the year.
"If we've put a call out for something and then people were stepping up. We've had some successful food drives with the radio station and Southern Plains Coop and with Canada Post. We want to continue to see that happening next year."
The Salvation Army has put a good amount of work into reforming its food bank to better display what's best for people.
"A highlight for us this year would definitely be revamping the food bank where people will see more fresh options over processed or packaged goods, so when people come to see us we offer that much healthier choices and we allow people to choose what's best for them and their family and not just saying here's a hamper here's what you have to have."
Reynard thanks the community for making that possible, with a number of people in the community donating produce during the summer months.
The food bank will be expanded further in 2025 though specifics aren't yet concrete.
"What we're going to look at for next year is in ways that we can expand the food bank. We're not sure how that looks right now but because the need is there we'll wanna maybe try some new things on our building as well on the other side and maybe like a coffee day and stuff like that."
"possibly we might do a bible study of some sort because, again, the Salvation Army is also a Christian organization so we wanna make sure we keep that at the forefront and so just looking at some new opportunities, check to see what might be missing in our great community and see if there's something that we can add to other ways that we could reach out to the community"