Rosetown Food Bank shelves refilled — and emptied again — after Emergency Services Drive

EAGLE STAFF

“The shelves will be empty by Monday (yesterday),” said Michelle Zacharias late last week about food collected in an effort by local firefighters and ambulance staff earlier that week.

Zacharias, a Rosetown and District Food Bank volunteer, expressed appreciation for Nov. 17 contributions by shoppers at Rosetown AG Foods and the Central Plains grocery store, saying the amount helped fill the food bank’s shelves. But the need is so great that everything would be distributed later in the week, she said.

Members of the fire department and local emergency medical services “initiated” the drive, she said. “It was very successful.”

“The firefighters and EMS annually do some sort of a food drive for us,” Zacharias said. “They have been quite innovative over the years, finding ways to help out in the community and also be present in the community.

“December Christmas hampers are by far our most requested and needed in our community, so we are so thankful to have the volunteer fire department and EMS really, really help fill our shelves so we can help fill the need,” she said.

“The shelves were very, very full, then we had the November hamper pickups (last Wednesday and Thursday) and the shelves will be empty by Monday,” Zacharias said.

Organization personnel use financial contributions from residents and organizations “to fill in the blanks” for dietary items that are less often or not donated, she explained. “Our community is so generous and we are truly appreciative all the time,” she said.

Zacharias noted that food bank donation bins stand at both grocery stores and encouraged people “to take part however they can” in drives conducted by schools, churches, youth groups, the EMS and fire department, adding that the former Prairie Centre Credit Union has also helped at Christmastime for the past several years.