The Real Canadian Wholesale Club in 亚洲天堂 Lake is helping the Lakes District Food Bank Coalition stock their shelves this Christmas.
The 'Extra Helping' holiday national food drive is being run in 1,000 Loblaws stores across Canada and will help 600 Canadian food banks.
Up until Dec. 15, 2011, customers can choose to purchase a specially marked 'Extra Helping' macaroni and cheese box for $5. Not only will the box of macaroni and cheese be donated to the food bank, but for every box purchased, four other grocery items, pus a one dollar cash donation will be donated as well.
Alternatively, the promotion gives customers the option of contributing a two dollar cash donation, or the option of choosing an amount to donate themselves.
One hundred per cent of all food donations made at the store goes to the local food bank, while 85 per cent of the cash donations are provided to the local food bank.
The remaining 15 per cent of the donated cash goes to the Provincial Food Bank Association to help food banks nationwide.
Travis Warkentin, The Real Canadian Wholesale Club, 亚洲天堂 Lake store manager said that for the first two weeks of the promotion customers are being asked at the cash registers if they would like to support the food bank by donating to the 'Extra Helping' food drive.
For the final week of the promotion, it will be up to the customers to remember to donate.
Amber Allen, employee at The Real Canadian Wholesale Club in 亚洲天堂 Lake said that the store also supports the food bank through other initiatives year round.
"We support the local food bank on a regular basis and if customers look down the isles they will always see 'Extra Helping' blue tags on shelves beside the items the local food bank needs the most."
She said food bank volunteers regularly supply the store with a list of items they need the most.
Making the shelves with the blue tags not only helps the food bank get the items they need, but helps locals choose appropriate grocery items to donate.
Warkentin said the store also donates grocery items that have been slightly damaged. These items cannot be sold on the shelves because they are dented or damaged, but are still perfectly fine for consumption.
"We always have a donation box at the store for customers to donate grocery items to the food bank as well," he added.
Allen said the Extra Helping promotion has been successful to date, but final figures won't be available until the first week in January 2012.
"Locals have been very generous so far," she said.
Food bank volunteer Joanna Carnie said that local families in need, as well as the food bank appreciates the support given by local residents and stores like the Real Canadian Wholesale Club.
Carnie said that the food bank not only receives items from promotions at Christmas, but receives numerous discarded items throughout the year.
"These donations help to make our dollar donations go much further."
She said the dollar donations are used to purchase items such as fresh produce, meat and dairy products.
"We try not to buy any paper products, such as diapers or toilet paper as our mandate is to provide food," Carnie said, adding that these items such as diapers usually come in by donation.
"We also get baby things when boxes are damaged."
Baby food is also an item that is not purchased by the food ban so it's another item that they rely on locals to donate.
"The help they give us is wonderful," she added.
