Target Hunger is collecting donations on behalf of the Lethbridge and Interfaith Food Banks. (Photo: LNN)

By Drew Stremick

Target Hunger is back to help Lethbridge food banks

Jun 7, 2022 | 12:09 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – If you haven’t received one already, Lethbridge residents are asked to keep their eyes out for a yellow plastic bag on their doorstep for Target Hunger, a food drive in support of the Lethbridge Food Bank and Interfaith Food Bank.

Bags are being dropped off by volunteers around the city and donating couldn’t be easier. Just fill the bag with food items you’d like to donate, and then on Saturday, June 11, 2022, stand the bag out front of your home before 10:00 a.m., and a volunteer will come to pick it up.

Executive Director with the Lethbridge Food Bank Mac Nichol says, last year, the Target Hunger food drive resulted in more than 47,000 lbs of items being donated to the Lethbridge Food Bank, and this year, their goal is even higher.

“We’re hoping to bring in 50,000 lbs of food this year,” said Nichol. “That’s about half a pound of food for every individual in Lethbridge. So, we are excited to see if we can meet that goal.”

Nichol says the donations collected from this event are sorely needed. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the costs of goods rising in almost every aspect of our lives due to inflation, he adds that demand for assistance has been steadily increasing.

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“Both Lethbridge Food Bank and Interfaith Food Bank, who are beneficiaries of this event, have seen our numbers going up quite a bit,” Nichol said. “Lethbridge Food Bank alone in May helped 150 more households than we did the year before, and we’re starting to see a lot of people needing to use our service more than we anticipated.”

The Lethbridge Food Bank accepts lots of different items, and Nichol says that they have a need for some items they don’t get as often.

“Things like Kraft Dinner, pasta sauce, canned fruit, and vegetables,” said Nichol. “Especially canned fruit. It’s one thing we find that people don’t donate as much because they don’t think about [it], but is a really good key part of a good diet and something we usually have to buy.”

People who want to donate don’t have to worry about contacting Target Hunger or the food banks if they want to donate. Nichol says that households should receive bags in a few days if they haven’t already, and if your house somehow gets missed, there are other ways to donate.

“If you’re in a place that doesn’t receive a yellow bag, or live in an apartment building, you can still donate to the program by just going to any local grocery store and putting food in their donation bin,” Nichol said.

Lethbridge News Now will be posting an update on this story after donations are collected.