The Chestermere Food Bank is reflecting on 2024 and reviewing the amount of food and money that was raised for families in need.
According to a social media post by the food bank, the community and corporate partners donated a total of 85,000 pounds of food throughout the year.
"That's about 20,000 pounds more than in previous years," said executive director Mardi Oel. "We are so happy, with 14,000 of those pounds coming from the Save On Foods in Langdon."
According to Oel, the Langdon grocery store needed to clear up space, so they offered their surplus of food to the food bank, which they picked up every two weeks. These products include frozen food and meat.
The organization also spent around $30,000 throughout the year on fresh produce and dairy.
On the other side, the food bank saw itself serving more people than ever before, totaling 14,700 pickups by the end of the year, which is around 283 people every week.
"None of this would be possible without the compassion and hard work of our volunteers," added the food bank.
The Chestermere Food Bank has been in operation since 2007 and is entirely run by volunteers. Anybody interested in joining the organization can reach out on the group's website.