Johns Manville, which had to cancel its fifth annual community Christmas turkey dinner this year, still came through to help the community’s less fortunate with a trio of generous donations.
Employees at the local plant raised $4,445, including monies raised through the collection of scrap steel throughout the year that was taken to Red Deer for recycling. The company matched the employees’ donation, and scores of financially challenged locals and families will now benefit.
The Innisfail Christmas Bureau will receive $9,700 from Johns Manville, while the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter will benefit from the company’s $3,190 donation.
“We are appreciative of the donation every year as they (Johns Manville) are our biggest donor,” said Karina Lucas, chairperson of the local Christmas Bureau.
As well, Johns Manville donated $3,000, along with 254 pounds of food, including 12 turkeys, to the Innisfail and District Food Bank.
“This year has been overwhelming for me because I just started here, so I got kind of thrown into the hustle and bustle,” said Val Kendall, coordinator of the food bank."I can not express how much I am grateful and overwhelmed by our town for the donations we have been given, and that includes NWP Industries and Johns Manville. Our community is amazing.”
As for turkeys, the food bank also received 30 additional ones and a cash donation from the Evans Law Office, a new firm that set up in Innisfail two years ago.
Chad Evans, owner of the law office, said he was inspired to make the donation as a way to give back to the community he has come to embrace, and to help out the less fortunate in the community, particularly because of how COVID-19 has adversely impacted so many.
“I thought it was important. The community has been so supportive of me since I opened up my own office two years ago,” said Evans, who also donated turkeys last year to the food bank. “The least I could do was to give back a little bit.”
