8th Annual Community Food Drive week ending Sat 27 Apr 2012
All is prepared for out upcoming Magrath and District Community Food Drive!
Last year Apr 2012: "The total pounds collected was 5551 which is equivalent to $11,102. Thank you, thank you, thank you... Tonya Woolford Executive Director Lethbridge Food Bank"
This year Apr 2013: "Total donations came in over 6500 pounds valued over $13,000!" Lion Roger
The Magrath Lions Club organizes the event in conjunction with members of local churches - LDS, United, Lutheran, et al. The real heroes are all the local youth groups and their leaders/parents who drop off the 1300 flyers the week before the collection day and then go around again on the Saturday morning at 9am and 10am to pick up donations from all of you. Thanks also to time and equipment donated by drivers (Calvin Heggie, Scott Neilson) and their trailers (Custom Windows, Neilson Construction) and their time and gas to drive your donated food items into the Lethbridge Food Bank. Thanks to all the volunteers who load and unload the trucks!
We are hoping for great weather again this year. If we happen to miss collecting from you, sorry .. but your donations can be still be left at the Magrath Pharmacy and Magrath Lions Club members will take them into Lethbridge for you as well. Thanks again.
Do you have time to help load and unload food bank donations? Come to the Magrath Seniors Center parking lot Saturday morning. Loading trailers starts about 9:30am. We plan to leave for Lethbridge Food Bank after 11:30am and be unloaded in Lethbridge by noon or shortly thereafter.
1300 flyers have been printed and posters prepared for display in coming weeks. We have new volunteer organizers again this year so some advance training may be required. The folding of the flyers and stapling to the folded collection bags should be prepared in advance (traditionally by the LDS YW Groups in the 9 church groups in Magrath, Welling, Del Bonita and Spring Coulee). Youth groups in each of these assigned areas are to distribute the flyers/collection bags to each home 2 or 3 days prior to the Saturday collection day. Please do not ring or knock - just leave the flyer/collection bag hanging on the door knob.
On the Saturday collection day each home is visited again at 9am and at 10am. Please again, no ringing or knocking - just collect up any bags of donated food and bring it to the collection area (in the parking lot west of the Magrath Seniors Center). Traditionally the collection is organized by the LDS YM Groups. We will have volunteers at the collection area to load the trailers and plan to leave by 11:30 am for Lethbridge.
Thankyou for your assistance in this worthy project. Without everyone's helping hands it would be much harder to accomplish! The links below are to current year flyers and handouts in PDF format:
Food Drive 2013 Flyers
Food Drive 2013 Posters
Please contact Lion Roger or Shauna Davies if you have any further questions or concerns regarding the food drive process. Thanks again, all!
/rdd
FOOD DRIVE 2013
lethbridgefoodbank.ca and magrath-ab.net/lions
Benefiting the Lethbridge Food Bank and Area Sponsored by: Representatives from the Churches from Magrath and surrounding area; The Catholic, The Lutheran, The United Church of Canada, The Mennonite Brethren, The Baptist, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and coordinated by members of the Magrath Lions Club.
Thank you for Volunteering! Here are some operational notes:
- The best time to leave between dropping off bags with flyers and the pick-up on Saturday seems to be 2 to 3 days. One week is the maximum time that should be left between drop off and pick-up.
- It is important to remember to return to every house twice where bags and flyers were delivered to check if food was left for collections. Donors are often frustrated if they try to donate food and it is not collected when stated.
- First collection is at 9:00 am on Saturday not earlier. Second collection is at 10:00 am on Saturday not earlier.
- Please go up to each door, check on both left and right. If there is a storm door, check in between the doors.
- Do not knock on doors .. do not ring the bell.
- Remember, as community food drive workers, we are representing the Food Bank. Please respect the donors property and treat those in the community with respect. Do not walk on the grass or flowerbeds.
- If your group cannot complete the area assigned, please let Lion Roger or Shauna (403) 388-4332 know so that others can be assigned to that area.
- Please don't be late. Start on time.
- Trucks leave from the Seniors Citizen Centre parking lot for Lethbridge at 11:30 am