$40,000 spent by county food bank in 2022

BY JANA SEMENIUK

The County of Lamont Food Bank held their Annual General Meeting Mar. 15 where the current executive was all acclaimed back into their positions.

Board Chair Jody Zachoda and Vice Chair Jodie Conley will remain in their positions for a second term, Treasurer Chris Mintenko has been in his position since 2010 and Secretary Darren Anderson is serving his third term.

Directors for the board are Val Mintenko, Jason Kowal, Jason Wytrykush, Val Nimchuk, Melissa Shiach and Jana Semeniuk.

Meanwhile, Mintenko shared food bank statistics with the board during the regular portion of their AGM including the total amount the County of Lamont food bank spent on groceries for 2022 which was just over $40,000.

Most of the tab, over 32 percent, was spent on miscellaneous items while 10 percent was spent on fruit.

Of the $40,000, Christmas groceries took up approximately $15,000 while regular groceries totalled just over $24,000. Mintenko added that one third of the food hamper recipients are children.

The month where the most hampers were distributed was June with nearly 200 hampers given out while July had the least amount with just over 100.

Currently, the food bank is in need of instant coffee, toothbrushes, laundry soap, small clean empty jars for laundry soap, and toilet paper.

Items can be dropped off at the food bank on Thursdays between 8 and 9 a.m. or at donation bins located in a number of locations. A complete list is available on the Food Bank’s social media page.

Additional Ukrainianaid

After announcing an additional $2.1 million for Ukrainian Aid at Mundare’s Basilion Fathers Museum, Premier Danielle Smith along with Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Rajan Sawhney and Fort Saskatchewan Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk posed with a group of local dignitaries Tuesday including former Premier Ed Stelmach, Lamont County Councillor Dan Warawa, Mundare Mayor Cheryl Calinoiu and Councillor Irene Talaga, Lamont Mayor Kirk Perrin and Councillor Al Harvey, Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee, and Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council president Orysia Boychuk. Full details on the funding announcement will be in next week’s paper.