Women’s Resource Society calls for food donations ahead of holiday season

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society (FSJWRS) is asking residents to help restock its Outreach Store due to low food supplies ahead of the holiday season.

The organization issued a public call for donations in a November 24th Facebook post, noting shelves are already depleted as demand continues to rise.

The FSJWRS issued a similar donation call in August due to a critical food shortage. 

Last year, the Outreach Store saw 15,274 visits, with that number expected to increase this year, and the society says donated supplies typically last only about three months.

“We typically see a peak in generosity during the holiday season, but most of those donations arrive in December,” Estefania Albornoz, the society’s manager of fundraising and community engagement, told Energeticcity.ca. “This year, our supplies were already running low in November.”

According to Albornoz, the Outreach Store currently serves over 1,000 visits per month and with limited storage capacity, staff cannot hold more than a three-month supply of food and essentials. 

“Because of this three-month cycle, we usually need to ask the community for help about three or four times per year,” she said.

Albornoz also said the society limits households to one visit per week, offers personal-sized food packages and caps selection at four items per category to ensure fair distribution.

In the Facebook post, the FSJWRS also shared lists of its most-needed donations, including both everyday staples and holiday-specific items.

Christmas dinner items:

• Frozen turkeys, chickens and hams
• Other meats and proteins
• Canned meats
• Boxed stuffing 
• Cranberry sauce
• Cake mix and icing
• Fresh and canned vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, celery, onions, garlic, etc.)
• Powdered and fresh milk
• Boxed mashed potatoes
• Rice and pasta
• Hamburger Helper
• Cooking oil
• Bread crumbs
• Coffee and hot chocolate
• Canned fruits
• Crackers, biscuits and cookies
• Eggs
• Butter and margarine

General items:

• Cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix and syrup
• Instant hash browns
• Flour
• Sugar
• Peanut butter and jam
• Granola
• Dried fruit
• Canned soups, stews and chunky soups
• Mr. Noodles
• Shake ’n Bake
• Rice, pasta and pasta sauce
• Kraft Dinner
• Canned tuna, chicken and beef
• Canned beans, peas, corn and carrots
• Chef Boyardee
• Sidekicks
• Canned fruit

Donations can be dropped off Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the back door of the FSJWRS’s Outreach Store, located at 9912 96th Avenue.

The society says residents can also contribute through any of the food drives happening throughout the community. 

One such food drive to support the FSJWRS is being organized by Prevail Athletics, and enters donors into a draw for a prize pack, valued at over $1,000. Donations for this drive are accepted from December 1st to December 18th.