DIDSBURY - An innovative new project spearheaded by a Didsbury group of community-minded individuals and involving the re-purposing of wooden pallets is helping the Mountain View Food Bank support families in need in the district.
The group presented a $3,000 cheque to the food bank last week, with more funding support to come.
For the past year, planning for the project has been underway by Bill Morgan, team leader of the group, and Tony Overwater, who is providing support through his company Overwater AG Services Ltd.
Organizers say the project is based on three principles: reduce landfill waste by repurposing the pallets; encourage volunteer participation which has fallen off during the COVID-19 pandemic years; and help feed residents in need.
Overwater explained that the idea for the project came following a trip to the local landfill where he noticed a significant number of pallets being discarded out of agricultural retail facilities, local manufacturing facilities and retail stores.
“Some research supported an estimate that within a 50-mile radius of Didsbury some 60,000 pallets were likely being discarded, crushed in landfills or simply burned,” he said.
“After talking with Tim Bishcke, manager of the Nutrien bagging facility at Didsbury, and discovering that Nutrien would be a willing purchaser of pallets provided they were ‘right sized’ an agreement was struck that pallets collected and repaired and sized would be purchased at a fair price on an ongoing basis.”
“With that a pilot project took root and working out of the Overwater residential garage over the past six weeks enough pallets have been collected; repaired; sized and delivered that Pallets for Food is at the point today to present these food bank support funds.”
He explained that the project has cleared $2,000 dollars after start-up expenses and the Sharon and Tony Overwater Charity Fund will match on a 50 per cent basis so the initial donation was $3,000.
Organizers believe that with “continued support from all our surrounding communities we can continue to provide support to the food bank on an ongoing basis.”
The project has now been moved to a temporary location provided by the Jeff Miller family, owner of Miller Excavating and Septic Services Didsbury, but a more permanent home will be needed going forward, he said.
“Many of our volunteers no longer own vehicles or choose not to drive, so, something within the town limits is important,” he said.
“The people living in Westpoint Place cul-de-sac and the other nearby neighbours have been very gracious and very supportive, however its time to move on to a new location.”
Pat Graham, food bank manager, said demand for food bank help continues to be strong in the region and the latest donation is certainly welcome.
“While the grocery retailers are great supporters of so many products, there is still a real need for cash to purchase fresh vegetables, meats, dairy products and eggs,” she said. “In addition there are the things families just need - toothpaste, tooth brushes and the other simple personal health-care items. These funds go a long way to helping broaden our ability to ensure all households but especially those with children to have what they need.”
The support the pallet project has received from many of the local and close by communities has been key to its success, with help coming from Home Hardware stores in Didsbury and Sundre, Kayteck in Carstairs, Leo’s Building Supplies in Olds, Core Ag retail locations in Carstairs and Torrington, along with UFA Olds, Co-op Ag retail at Crossfield, and Olds Fertilizer and Sundre Soil Services who have all been instrumental by saving on their site’s pallets for the cause, he said.
“While continuing to operate and sell pallets, another initiative over the coming months to gather even yet more pallets for this cause is to get farmers who receive a lot of product deliveries on pallets to give us a call and to get fully engaged in this environmental and important charity initiative,” he said.
Anyone who has pallets to donate can call Bill Morgan at 403-672-0045 or Tony Overwater at 403-318-4333. Pick-up can be arranged.
