FOOD BANK ADAPTING
New pick-up rules, monetary donations only among COVID-19 precautions being taken
The Moose Jaw and District Food Bank put in COVID-19 measures a little over two weeks ago they hoped would be enough to keep them operating and assisting local residents as conveniently as possible.
Now, further changes are necessary. The charity announced Friday that further restrictions and a change to how hampers are distributed had been put into place as the battle against the outbreak continues.
“It’s all so we can continue to give out hampers to those who need it and so far it’s working out really well,” said Deann Little, development manager with the Food Bank.
One of the most prominent moves is the decision to completely close down their facility to the public, with hampers now available by appointment only and through a series of steps designed to be as safe as possible for all involved. Those in need are asked to call ahead at 306-692-2911 or message the Food Bank on Facebook on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for same-day pick-up. With the building closed, drop ins are no longer possible. From there, it’s simply a matter of following directions.
“Our building is staying locked, we have a window at the front of the building up top where Terry is talking to clients below, and then we’re directing them around to our loading dock, where we have hampers pre-made and ready, and bags and boxes that are ready to go,” Little explained. “Then we slide those hampers out to them so we can stay a safe distance away when we’re giving it to them.”
The Food Bank is also no longer accepting food donations, having switched over to monetary donations only. “Those are the most needed at our food bank right now,” Little said. “With those donations we can purchase milk, eggs and meat as needed and anything else that might help those in need.”
All in all, things have stayed fairly normal outside of the changes since COVID-19 shutdown much of the province. Numbers haven’t ticked up too severely, and using the right practices has Little and her fellow workers hoping even when they do, they’ll be able to stay safe.
“It’s just three of us, Terri (Smith) the operations manager and my husband Ian, and we’ve been able to stay on top of things,” Little said. “Keeping our social distancing is just enabling us to stay open, because if Terry or I get sick, we’ll have to see if we can keep our doors open or come up with some other plan.” The good news is that at the moment, the Food Bank is well stocked, in large part due to the generosity of Moose Jaw citizens in the months leading up to the crisis.
“We are grateful that our community continues to support us, especially over the last year when we had record breaking numbers in donations received, so we can help out a larger number of clients who we are anticipating for our food bank,” Little said.
For more information, to receive help or make a monetary donation, check out www.mjfoodbank.org or check out their Facebook page, as it’s regularly updated.