Community Lunch Box welcomes new addition to recycling program: Eagle River Chrysler provides new truck in partnership

By Quinn Fisher

The Community Lunch Box Program continues to endure this year despite the economic downturn. Dani Koester, Community Lunch Society Volunteer Co-ordinator and Community Liaison said, “It’s my job to organize volunteers, look into various grants that are applicable to the program, oversee fundraising events, and building community relationships with various businesses, schools, and community partners in the Town of Whitecourt.” The Community Lunch Box Program provides food security including breakfasts, lunches, and apples to all six schools and youth programs in Whitecourt which translates into approximately 2,700 students receiving these non-stigmatized supports.

Koester explained the community relationship that the program has with Eagle River Chrysler by saying, “We have been working with Eagle River Chrysler for several years now. They generously supplied a truck for bottle pickup at the more than 100+ bottle drop off locations in Whitecourt. The dealership has been very generous and very supportive of our program. This year on Valentine’s Day, our truck went in to get some routine maintenance, and Eagle River Chrysler decided it was time for an upgrade! The new truck is a 2017 silver Dodge Ram with running boards so that some of our volunteers and meaningful part-time employees facing mobility barriers can get in and out of the truck more easily. This is a stark contrast to our previous truck. Trimline Design Ltd. added the Lunch Box logos on February 24 and now it’s ready to rock.”

“Our recycling program is a major source of revenue for the program and, without that partnership, it would be a very challenging endeavour maintaining the program. Eagle River Chrysler empowers us to meet the goals of the recycling program. If you were to break down the costs of having a truck for the Lunch Box, it would be roughly $18,000 which includes oil changes, and regular maintenance. I’d also like to add that Venom Energy, another community partner, provides us with a fuel card for the truck which is fantastic for us because fuel is a big cost,” Koester added.

This year the Community Lunch Box is focusing on increasing bottle donations and, recently, the program relocated one of the blue bottle bins to the Whitecourt Transfer Station. “We’ve seen a drastic increase in bottles from that bin now that it’s located at the transfer station. The recycling program is partnered with the manager there. It’s a great opportunity for everybody, I think, because when you go to drop off your recyclables and garbage, you can drop off your bottles, too. I think it’s very convenient for a lot of people,” Koester added. The Community Lunch Box Program continues to reflect the efforts of the whole community coming together with a single vision. “It takes a village to raise our children by ensuring they learn better on a full stomach.”