Ponoka seniors take part in annual food drive

PONOKA -- Local seniors in Ponoka recently came together for this year's "One Can Make A Difference" campaign.

The annual campaign was held at the Seasons Ponoka Retirement Community in July with the goal of collecting food donations in support of the Ponoka Food Bank. For this year, senior residents, families, volunteers, and team members came together to donate more than 260 canned goods and non-perishable food items in hopes of combating food insecurity in Ponoka.

Stephanie Waldron, General Manager at Seasons Ponoka, tells 89.7 The One that this year's campaign demonstrated the generosity of residents and staff, who rallied together to support the local community. 

"I'm very proud of the residents. Seeing that this is a chance to help local people and to give back to the community, it's a great cause for sure," said Waldron. "Having everyone rally around the shared goal of helping neighbours and people in need is inspiring, and we're so very proud to be able to support the local food bank. It's a really important initiative."

Waldron notes that this year's totals for both non-perishable foods and monetary donations eclipsed last year's totals as well. By the campaign's end, residents and staff from Seasons Communities across Alberta donated more than 990 canned goods and non-perishable items company-wide to local food bank partners.

Food insecurity continues to affect communities across Canada, with food banks experiencing record demand in recent years. By participating in initiatives like "One Can Make a Difference," Waldron says that Seasons Retirement Communities aims to help ensure local food banks can continue providing essential support to individuals and families in need.

Since launching its partnership with local food banks in 2016, Seasons Retirement Communities has donated more than $350,000 in food and financial contributions through its corporate giving initiatives.