Helping hungry children particular focus of food bank head
LETHBRIDGE – Food banks may be here to stay, but they’re evolving to meet the continuing need, with a particular focus on children.
Lethbridge Food Bank executive director Maral Kiani Tari spoke at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs regular luncheon Thursday, Dec. 13 to discuss the changes over the past 35 years. The food bank started in 1982 with a “food share” program.
“It was sort of a stop-gap measure. It has definitely grown and the need has always been there. And the need is continuing to be there,” Kiani Tari explained in an interview. “However, what we are focusing on (is) to be able to have programs to get our clients out of our system, to be able to get them on their own, and being that sort of stop where they can come for help and get back on their feet.”
While she and other food bank leaders would like to see the need for their organizations eliminated, Kiani Tari doesn’t expect that to happen without drastic change.