Local lives need a helping hand this Christmas

Hello. My dad was recently laid off from work and my mom works two jobs. Both my parents try their best to raise the three of us, but I heard them say it’s getting harder to keep food on the table.
Hi. My dad is a single father and does his best to keep us well fed and to buy us winter boots and coats before the winter weather blows in. Between breakfasts, lunches for school, dinners, and snacks it’s got to be tough, especially when he already works a full-time job and does a little extra to make a little more money to help out the family.
Howdy. My mom is the sole bread winner in the family. She’s been a single mom forever and works a full day and volunteers for most of our school activities and she is always worried about making sure the family has enough to eat.
The aforementioned fictional letters are what’s happening more and more in our society these days. More and more families rely on local food banks to simply eat each day. Without food banks, many families wouldn’t have the food needed to make it through the day, let alone a week or month.
It is imperative food banks are supported and replenished. Canadian families need food banks, Albertan families need food banks but most importantly — families in your own community need food banks to survive. And these days, it is getting harder and harder for many families to keep their heads above water with the ever-increasing cost of living.
It’s November and the cold is beginning to peek its ugly head out from a summer’s slumber. How can a family in need worry about the holidays, when the family has to worry about having enough food on tonight’s dinner table let alone a holiday feast.
Food is a necessity of life and no Canadian should have to worry about not having enough food for their family — ever.
But sadly it is becoming a reality for many families in today’s society.
What is happening in a specific regional area? What needs to be done to rectify the situation? Where is it happening and why? When did it start and why? How can the situation be helped and how can people get involved?
These are all questions that need to be answered or re-evaluated, sooner than later.
If you have ever used a food bank over the years, you will know the service it provides. Food banks do not discriminate. Food banks serve all ages, all denominations, and all nationalities. That’s what makes food banks great.
This holiday season pay it forward by helping out your local food bank. Sponsor a family, if you can, or make a food or monetary donation.
Lend a hand at a local soup kitchen, donate a toy to a local toy drive or donate a coat, clothes or socks to a local organization.
This Christmas and beyond, keep it local — your neighbours may need a helping hand.