Whitecourt joining World Hunger Day with a free BBQ

Whitecourt Food Bank Coordinator Tara Bartsch is kickstarting a new annual event.
Organizations worldwide have participated in World Hunger Day since its inception in 2011. The
United Kingdom was the first to hold the event, which has grown exponentially. Whitecourt
wasn’t involved until this year.
“I got an email about World Hunger Day, which is on May 28, and I thought that it was really
cool. I wondered, what could Whitecourt do?” Bartsch said she called Eris Moncur at Eagle
River Casino to float the idea. “He wants to help the community as much as he can and is
always doing things and supporting things. I asked if he would like to do a barbecue with us,
and he said yes,” she explained.
Bartsch then connected with Pembina Pipelines, another hugely supportive community
business, and they jumped on board, too. “Pembina Pipeline is bringing in a whole bunch of
volunteers and their big barbeque and they are supplying all the juice and water, all free of
charge. Eagle River Casino is donating 200 hamburgers, 150 hot dogs, 100 smokies, plus all
the buns and condiments. Plus, whatever we don’t use, they are making it so we can repackage
it and give it to our clients, all free. It’s awesome! They are both so generous.”
On May 25, from 11 am until 3 pm, at the Carlan Centre, 76 Sunset Boulevard, in the same
parking lot as JDA Place, there will be a free barbecue for the community. “We are hoping to
feed lots of people,” said Bartsch. “We want to give back to the community for being so
generous to us.”
Bartsch said that if people want to bring a food bank donation, they absolutely can, but it isn’t a
requirement. “It’s totally free to come eat,” she said. Once people have had some grub, the
doors to the food bank will be open, allowing them to see what things look like inside. “We are
going to let people come in and take a tour. We want everyone to see what we do here and
what it’s all about. We want people to see that it isn’t a scary place and that no one should ever
be ashamed to come here. We just want to help, and that’s why we are here.”
She said that for those who have donated, it’s also a way to see where their donations go and
what the set-up looks like. “We help over 250 families a month. I don’t think people fully
understand what we do here or the limited space we have to work within. We also have limited
food and are constantly working at refilling our shelves or rebuilding stock through donations.”
Bartsch said it’ll also be nice for the staff to meet community members. “Most of our people here
are volunteers. We only have two paid staff. Everyone else is a volunteer who believes in the
cause to ensure our community works as best as possible.”
She said it would also be an excellent chance for kids to learn about the food bank. Bartsch
added that not everyone knows where the food bank is, and this event can help change that.
“We hope everyone will become acquainted with the food bank and its location.”
Bartsch thanks the community support for making the event possible and hopes to see it grow in
the coming years. “Both of these companies, Eagle River Casino and Pembina Pipeline are
huge supporters of Whitecourt. We couldn’t do this without them. It’s pretty amazing to have
someone like Eris from Eagle River Casino in the community and businesses like Pembina or

Matt from Whitecourt Transport; whatever you need, they help. They are one of the reasons why
Whitecourt is such an amazing community; they are always giving back.”
Those wanting to bring some donations along with them are encouraged to bring shelf-stable
foods because they last the longest. Ideas include macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper,
canned meat, beans, or any shelf-stable protein. Another big item that people might not think
about donating is toiletries.
“We are always either low on or completely out of toiletries, especially things like razors,
shampoo and conditioner, deodorant. Those things are quite expensive, so if you don’t have
money for food, will you buy toiletries? No, you won’t. We also do laundry soap because you
need to be able to wash your clothes to get a job or go to work and for your kids to go to school.
Those are things we try to have on hand because they are so important,” explained Bartsch.
This year’s theme for World Hunger Day is sustainability and reducing waste. “Over 800 million
people go hungry daily, and one-third of all food is wasted. That is not sustainable,” she said. To
help reduce waste at the food bank, Bartsch said she works with local farmers to provide them
with unusable perishable foods for their animals rather than throwing them away.
“World Hunger Day is a reminder that hunger is not only a problem of scarcity but of inequality
and non-sustainable systems. Low-income families are not the only ones using the food bank.
We also see double-income families. Bills are expensive. Rent is crazy expensive, and food is a
necessity. People are paying their bills so that they have a roof over their heads, but where does
their food come from?”
She said introducing sustainable choices in the home can help reduce waste and save money.
“Food planning is a big thing; it doesn’t waste food. If you know what you’re eating tomorrow,
you’re only going to buy those things. That’s what we do in our household. We always plan our
meals, and Sunday is our cooking and packing day to get ready for the week,” explained
Bartsch. She said gardening is another great idea, even if it’s pots on a windowsill.
Whether users of the food bank or not, Bartsch invites everyone to come have lunch on May 25.
“Come meet the people who volunteer their time here. They are hardworking individuals who
are absolutely amazing. That’s how I started. I worked with Lori, and she was incredible. We can
always use more help.” The barbecue will be on Saturday, May 25, from 11 am to 3 pm at the
food bank, which is located in the Carlan Center beside JDA Place.