Bad weather is to blame for the Goldstream Food Bank being open intermittently this week.
A volunteer, whose vehicle could handle current road conditions, was there Wednesday to receive a shipment of groceries, said Gayle Ireland, president of the food bank.
The West Shore food bank is usually open Tuesdays and Wednesdays to give out hampers depending on family size, with enough groceries to last up to a week.
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“We’re still out in the community every week picking up day old bakery, groceries and donations,” Ireland said.
Stores in the community and residents on the West Shore are “very, very generous,” she added.
The food bank receives day old products from all major grocery stores in the are such as Fairway, Real Canada Superstore, Thrifty Foods, Save-On-Foods and Quality Foods, Ireland said. Coffee shops such as Starbucks and churches also provide donations.
Residents can also drop food into donation bins in surrounding grocery stores. Sales reps drop products close to or just past their dates as well, she added. Those are picked up every day, she noted. The bank also reclaims damaged and discontinued products, which are picked up weekly.
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But weather conditions this week were just not safe for the volunteers with the thawing snow giving way to ice. Ireland noted many of the volunteers are seniors.
“We can’t take a chance with one of our volunteers breaking a bone or any of them hurting themselves – or the clients.”
swikar.oli@goldstreamgazette.com