The Lac La Ronge Food Bank continues to find new ways to help community members while closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The food bank closed in mid-March to keep both clients and employees safe from the virus.
Trudy Connor, the chair of the food bank’s governing board, said there are two main reasons the food bank had to close.
“For people to enter and exit safely and also keep a safe physical distance,” she said. “Those are the two major factors.”
Although closed, Connor said the food bank was able to distribute 480 bags of healthy food items to students in Air Ronge, La Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band after they applied for and received the “After the Bell” grant from Food Banks Canada.
She said they did open for one week in an attempt to deliver food hampers.
However, Connor said that this wasn’t sustainable due to safety concerns.
“I mean it’s one thing to be able to deliver them safely but people need to be able to be in a space where they can pack the hampers safely, and we didn’t have that at the time either.”
While normal operations continue to be closed, food bank volunteers are now overseeing a community garden called “Little Garden of Hope.”
The garden was once overseen by the Scattered Site Outreach Program but the food bank took it over last year.
Connor said residents are able to help weed the garden and eat the vegetables grown there.
She said when the food bank reopens, the best way for residents to help will be through financial donations.
However, Connor said she hopes residents will also consider donating to local non-profits that are still in operation during COVID-19, such as the Scattered Site Outreach Program.
(PHOTO: Volunteers of the Lac La Ronge Food Bank work in the community garden. Photo courtesy of Lac La Ronge Food Bank Facebook page.)