By Jessie Weisner

Food Bank approaching busiest month

Jan 3, 2019 | 3:02 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Christmas time is full of generosity, encouraging people to volunteer and donate where they can.

However, for the Medicine Hat and District Food Bank, the real time of need is at the beginning of the year, not the end.

“Well certainly we find hat January and February are very busy times for us, you know people have Christmas and bills pile up and unexpected expenses come up,” says Celina Symmonds, executive director of the Medicine Hat and District Food Bank. “You know its much colder, utility bills go up, that’s the time that families often need more help.”

In 2018, the foundation saw roughly 85 families each day through January and February. Symmonds says they’re expecting to see those same numbers in 2019.

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The food bank typically rations out the donations they receive before the beginning of the year in order to make them last.

“What we try to do is space it out so that we can utilize those donations going into January and February as well,” says Symmonds. “Certainly it is when we require more donations, it is when we purchase more food is during January and February.”

However, Symmonds says regardless of the increase of people, anyone who needs help can get what they need. They can even lend a hand if they’d like.

“Folks that are in need, we want them to call, we want them to get the support that they need and come in and get what they need from us,” says Symmonds. “We could always use volunteers so sometimes the resource you have is your time and so we absolutely need that as well.”

The Food Bank is always accepting donations of food, toiletries or cash.