Fill-a-Cruiser for the food bank this Saturday

The local food bank is hoping residents will stop by the Co-op food store this weekend to help drive away hunger by filling a police cruiser with food.

The Salvation Army is gearing up for the holiday season by introducing Fill-a-Cruiser. An RCMP cruiser will be parked at the Pioneer Co-op grocery store on Saturday, and residents are invited to come, grab a bag, fill it with groceries and place it in the cruiser.

Captain Ed Dean said Fill-a-Cruiser has been a successful event for food banks in other communities and it was decided to give it a try locally this year.

Volunteers will be handing out bags Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Co-op for shoppers to purchase non-perishable food items for the cause and pack them into the vehicle.

Dean noted the timing is perfect as the store is holding its 10 for $10 sale.

With 40-45 families using the food bank each month, it doesn’t take long for stock on its shelves to deplete. Dean said families will take six to eight bags of groceries each month, but larger families do need more.

The food bank is also starting to stock up for the holidays, when about 100 Christmas hampers will be distributed to families in the area.

As the only food bank between Swift Current and Medicine Hat, Dean emphasized donations are important to help families all across the Southwest. Other communities in the area also give to the Maple Creek Food Bank as it serves people living in their area.

On Halloween, the MCCS Peer Support Group was able to collect about 1,500 pounds of food through its door-to-door Trick-or-Food campaign.

Items always needed at the food bank include peanut butter – either in small or medium-sized containers – cereal and diapers. Some formula could also be used, as it is not received as often. Dean noted items should not be past their expiry date.

Come on out this Saturday and help Fill-a-Cruiser!

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