The Medicine Hat Food Bank has switched to a hamper delivery system to help the city's most vulnerable during COVID-19

By Tiffany Goodwein

Food bank turns to hamper delivery amid COVID-19

Mar 17, 2020 | 6:23 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB.- The Medicine Hat Food Bank has put heightened measures in place in order to safely provide help to the city’s most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The food bank has moved to a hamper delivery system, dropping food off directly to those who need it at their door step.

The food bank says the hamper system was put in place in part to limit the number of people coming into and out of the building.

Part of the heightened measures also include a requirement for visitors and volunteers to sanitize their hands and get their temperature taken once they enter the building. Volunteers over the age of 60 have also been asked to refrain from volunteering while the pandemic persists.

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These measures, according to the food bank are to ensure that support will always be available to those in need.

Executive Director Celina Symmonds said the COVID-19 pandemic can especially be a challenge for vulnerable people in the city.

“Well I think for people that can’t just go to Walmart or go to Superstore or go to Save On Foods and buy food, I think it is a really stressful time for them, and I think that they are scared that there might not be enough for them when their cheque, comes out, and whether or not it’s available to them so we are just trying to keep everybody calm and ensure them that the food bank will still be here,” Symmonds said.

Since the province announced school closures, Symmonds says staff at all three districts have stepped up to help.

“Because schools are not in right now, we know this is also a time when families need more food so we have been partnering with all three school districts who have been unbelievably generous in supporting us and coming out with volunteers to help to make sure that all families in our community need food.”

With store shelves going empty due to stockpiling, this makes getting food to the vulnerable even more difficult.

The food bank says they are currently in need of cash donations for their hamper program.

Those who wish to donate are asked to send an E-transfer to donate@MHfoodbank.com