Echo Food Rescue staff and volunteers are excited to announce changes made to our facility to better serve the public.
The event, which will be held on May 26th from 2:30 p.m., will include a facility tour, cake, and an opportunity to learn more about what Echo Food Rescue is all about.
Echo Food Rescue comes from the Echo Lacombe Association. The Echo Lacombe Association is a group of volunteers who promote the capabilities of Echo Energy and Echo Internet, organize and execute projects, and support community grants.
One of their flagship programs is Echo Food Rescue. The program collects food that would normally go to waste from grocery stores, restaurants, and farms and provides it to the community.
Although the food may not be “perfect” in some sense, it is still perfectly edible.
There are two distribution times each week: Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Sundays from 3 to 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, Echo Food Rescue manager Christina Sturgeon said staff have applied for an Agrispirit grant through Farm Credit Canada because they've expanded to the point where they need cooler space to continue growing.
“A lot of people bring in produce from their gardens, especially during the summer, and we don’t have the space to store it,” she said.
Grant money was raised and used to purchase additional coolers.
“We have those. We've also been able to do other things throughout the facility that will help us continue to grow, including more signage and painting. , making the facility more attractive to the community.”
There was also a mural painted on the back wall.
“Tricon (Development) is going to install a sink, which we didn’t have originally, which is great. We were also able to buy a place to store the potatoes, carrots and beets that came in. So all of this It’s helping us make a big difference in the way we operate,” she said.
“It also allows us to go out and look for more food (gathering) opportunities, food that can be rescued, something we've been working on for the past year. “The idea was to expand our volunteer base where additional food was available,” she explained.
“On the one hand, the need and shortage in the community is huge,” she added. “There's never a day that we can't give out all the food, so I know if we were open more days of the week, more people would come.
“The people who come and pick up food. I call them food rescue partners because without them, it doesn’t matter how much food we rescue if there isn’t someone else’s plate.” That's why we're here.'' These items are a hub for volunteers who help sort, distribute and receive food. We also needed to have infrastructure in place, and we needed some support there to help us grow.
“That's where Farm Credit Canada comes in. And then there's the community, who pitch in when I have a lot of food that needs to be rescued. I think all three of those elements are going to help us grow.”
Ultimately, Sturgeon said the grand opening is a way to invite the community to see how the organization works.
“Maybe we can bring in a few more volunteers, and we’d also like to highlight our partnership with Farm Credit Canada and the work they’ve done to help us grow. .”
Ms Sturgeon said she would be happy to chat if other communities were interested in setting up similar businesses.
Last year it was £115,000. of food was diverted from landfills through Echo Food Rescue.
In other news, Connex buses are providing transportation to Echo Food Rescue for the elderly and those in need of assistance due to mobility issues or illness.
Pickup begins at 10 a.m. on May 30th, June 13th and 27th, and July 11th and 25th. To reserve your ride and see a complete list of dates, call 403-782-6637 ext. 308.
“That’s because of the FCSS,” she said.
“When you're handing out food, you never have a bad day. Even if you're having a bad day, you go out there and see how much people appreciate what we do and how much our volunteers appreciate the program.” You see how much you’re investing in it,’ and you’re taking ownership of it,” she said.
“That’s what I like about it.”
For more information, contact Christina Sturgeon at 403-352-1765 or email christina@echolacombe.ca.