INNISFAIL – With winter recently offering its first big nasty blast and the holiday season fast approaching, the Innisfail Art Club has reached out to help the town’s less fortunate.
In recent weeks, Jacalyn Carr, the club’s treasurer, presented a cheque for $570 to Heather Taylor, the co-coordinator of the Innisfail and District Food Bank.
“When the town gave us the free Community Room, we thought we needed to give back to the community and no better place than the food bank, especially every year when it seems they need more and more,” said Carr, adding the club was aware of the food bank’s challenges that has seen a 26 per cent increase over the past year in demand for food hampers. “The club does recognize that need and we talked about a few different charities, and it was decided the food bank was probably the best place.”
The art club held its first show and sale since 2019 on Oct. 14 and 15 in the Community Room at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
Admission price was $5 per person and the club pledged that half the total proceeds would go to the Innisfail food bank.
Taylor said the food bank appreciated the donation, adding the growing need comes at an opportune time during the approaching holiday season when more fortunate citizens are starting to show greater generosity.
“If we can help out a family with food, they then can maybe afford to purchase a gift for a family member,” said Taylor, noting her agency has the good fortune that the Dec. 3 Innisfail RCMP Charity Check Stop, and the Dec. 10 CP Holiday Train is soon arriving to help support the needy.
In the meantime, the food bank has started an online campaign to raise funds to buy a new commercial fridge, a much larger refrigeration unit that will give the food bank the ability to collect perishable food items for clients.
The unit, which will be placed in the food bank’s reception area, will cost between $3,000 and $5,000.
“Our idea is that we would sit it here, and we then we can have fresh vegetables. If people want to donate dairy or that kind of stuff, it can be there,” said Taylor, adding donations for the purchase of the unit can be made at the food bank’s office behind the Central Alberta Co-op grocery store. “People will see that when they come to register.”
