ATHABASCA - The Athabasca Fire Department will have one of its rescue trucks and trailers at Tipton’s Your Independent Grocers Dec. 13 for another Stuff-a-Truck event with all donations going to the Good Samaritan Mission Association Food Bank.
The first Stuff-a-Truck was held Nov. 22 at Buy-Low Foods, where they got $1,100 in cash donations and between 1,500-2,000 lbs. of food in about six hours.
Athabasca Fire Department Captain Jamie Schmidtke said they like to hold this event every year.
“How much we get depends on the day we hold the event,” Schmidtke explained. “The fact our next event will take place on a Friday the 13th should not affect anything.”
He added there is no set number on how much food they will get for this year.
“If we get more than we did Nov. 22, that’s great,” Schmidtke said. “If not, it’s still more food for the Good Samaritan Mission. We just have to do what we can do to help, and it’s always nice to give back to the community that does so much to help us.”
Kimberly Greentree, the assistant store manager at Tipton’s, said they raise lots of food every year.
“We are also selling our individual bags of food which people can donate to the food bank for $5, $10, $15, $20 or $25,” Greentree continued. “The bags are already stuffed and ready to go. For babies, we got diapers, wipes, treats, lotions and drinks. Otherwise, we have soups, pastas and non-perishable food items.”
Food Bank coordinator Lois Uchytil noted that Tipton’s also started its annual month-long food drive Nov. 29.
“It’s going all the way until Dec. 24, and they have already brought us 1,000 lbs. of food,” Uchytil added. “Some of what we need the most is an assortment of canned goods and some pasta with sauce to go with it, and we need diapers in sizes four, five and six, as well as baby formula.”
She added that Landing Trail Intermediate School in Athabasca is doing a fill-the-foyer event throughout the Christmas season.
“They have done this every year and gathers a remarkable amount of food for the food bank,” Uchytil said. “We are always grateful for any help we can get.”
She also said the food bank currently have about 2,300 families registered at this time.
“Some may come once a month, or even once or twice a year. But nobody usually comes in all at the same time,” Uchytil continued. “While we have taken about 300 off our files as they find jobs and get back on their feet, we have also had at least that many sign up to use it since September.”
She said she is also grateful for all the groups who comes in to build hampers for them.
“They include church groups, youth groups, even some seniors,” Uchytil said. “Some even build hampers every month.”
She added that meat, vegetables and other perishables are added the day they are handed out.
“All the donations of food we do get are very helpful, but we can always use more non-perishable food items,” Uchytil explained. “On Dec. 16 and 18, we will be distributing a large portion of the Christmas hampers on those two days, and we can use a few more volunteers to help on both of those days. Both to help us pack the hampers, and to help us feed the people who come out to pick up their hamper.”
The Athabasca Good Samaritan Ministries Association’s Food Bank is located along Airport Road just east of Athabasca, and are open Monday to Friday by appointment from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
