(Photo: Ledcor donating $5,500 to the Lac La Ronge Food Bank, Facebook photo)
The Lac La Ronge Food Bank recently received two big donations ahead of the winter season. Lakeside Spirits donated $25,000, and Ledcor Construction Limited, the company building the LA Ronge Long-term Care Home, donated $5,500.
“We are very, very grateful to get those supports from corporations and companies that can do that for us, and I’ll also mention that there are a few in the past that we have received that don’t want any publicity, and some of them are quite large donations too, so we are very fortunate,” said Cheryl Norgaard, the chair of the La Ronge Food Bank.
Food banks across the country have seen a rise in clients year over year, and Norgaard stated that La Ronge is no different. According to Food Banks Canada, there has been a 42% increase in food bank visits in Saskatchewan from 2019 to 2024.
(Photo: Lakeside Spirits donating $25,000 to the Lac La Ronge Food Bank, Facebook photo)
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the food bank in La Ronge would have clients come into the food bank to fill out an application for a hamper. The organization has now switched to a delivery system where people can call the food bank and have hampers brought to them. Individuals are limited to receiving one hamper every four weeks due to high demand, and Norgaard stated that the organization has regular clients as well as new clients every week.
“Since we are doing that type of model, we try to stay at around 40 hampers a week, and there are occasions when we get above that, and we have to turn people away because we just can’t manage delivery of more than that,” explained Norgaard.
There is a list of items that the food bank is in most need of, and they include the following:
- Canned fish or meat
- Pork and beans
- 500 ml jar of peanut butter
- Powdered or canned milk
- Macaroni or rice
- Canned soups
- 1 litre juices
- Kids’ applesauce
- Tinned tomatoes or pasta sauce
- Granola bars,
- Cooking oil
- Diapers
“We’re always looking for folks who might want to volunteer their time, and maybe just once in a while or more regularly, we try to get a fit for everybody. It’s sometimes more difficult depending on if they’re working full-time or not because we’re often doing some of this work during the day,” stated Norgaard.
Individuals looking to volunteer at the La Ronge Food Bank or make a donation can contact 306-420-7691. More information can also be found on their Facebook page linked below.
https://www.facebook.com/larongefoodbank/
“We at the food bank are very grateful for the tri-communities because, seriously, we have a lot of support whenever we need it, and it’s just amazing how people can pull together and work together to make a difference for folks who are struggling,” said Norgaard.