INNISFAIL – It has been quite a year for the Central Alberta Men’s Shed (Innisfail).
They have seemingly been everywhere in the Innisfail community; creating new inspiring wonders for Innisfailians, from garden storage boxes for the Innisfail Community Garden to impeccably designed adorable little free libraries.
And now for the first time the local men’s shed group, which was formed just over two years ago, wants give back to the community with cash.
On Dec. 11 at the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 the group gave the Innisfail Christmas Bureau a donation of $500.
A week later on Dec. 18 at the same venue the local men’s shed donated another $500 to the Innisfail and District Food Bank.
The same night the legion donated another $1,000 to the food bank, as well as to the Christmas Bureau.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Heather Taylor, co-coordinator of the food bank, of the community response to her agency during the 2024 holiday season. “We’ve had just tons of people stop in at the food bank with stuff and money, and it's just overwhelming.”
And the need to support the town’s vulnerable has increased, with Taylor noting the most recent food bank year-over-year statistics showing an 18 per cent increase in demand for the agency’s essential service to the community.
Brad Watson, treasurer of the local men’s shed, said his group had a good second year with a full slate of projects, and the group made some extra money.
“We just thought it would be good to share that out with the community,” said Watson.
The 35-member Central Alberta Men’s Shed (Innisfail) group is part of a global movement, with more than 3,000 sheds in 12 countries, that started in Australia in 2007 as a way to improve the health and well-being of older men, and to be inclusive and make a difference in the communities they serve.
In 2024 Watson’s men’s shed members created and installed five little free libraries in various Innisfail neighbourhoods.
They have built five trolley carts for the Innisfail food bank to load and unload food donations.
Men’s shed members have been a great supporter in 2024 to the Innisfail Community Garden by constructing storage boxes for tools, dog snacks and water bowls.
For the 2024 holiday season local men’s shed members constructed Christmas Village stands for citizens in town, with one member also helping Innisfail Town Theatre by building boxes for a recent play.
“We're always looking for things that we can do within the community,” said Watson. “So, there will be more little free libraries. “I'm sure there'll be other people coming and requesting some help.”
In the meantime the local men’s shed group is always accepting new members.
Group members meet every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in the Innisfail legion.
