People begin lining up outside the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre at 9 a.m. on Dec. 23 to receive their Christmas food hampers. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

‘It’s a beacon of hope that someone cares’: Battlefords food bank provides hampers to over 1,000 people in need

Dec 24, 2024 | 9:00 AM

The Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre (BDFRC) distributed hundreds of Christmas food hampers on Monday to address food insecurity in the community during the festive season.

With each hamper given out, they ensured everyone had a warm meal to face the biting cold and, for those going through tough times, a reason to smile.

Among the people waiting in line, Deanna, a single mother with three kids, said the hampers brought her a sense of relief.

“I’m a single parent, and I do work, but I only get so much a month, so this helps extra with my finances, and it lightens the burden a lot,” she said.

Recognizing the challenges inflation has posed for many, Deanna said she is grateful for charities like BDFRC supporting low-income groups.

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Evan Cadrin is a first-time BDFRC volunteer. He believes in giving back to the community. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW Staff)

According to the 2025 Canada’s Food Price Report from four Canadian universities, including the University of Saskatchewan, food prices increased by 2.8 per cent in 2024 and are expected to rise again in 2025.

Consequently, a typical family of four in Canada is projected to spend $16,833.67 annually on food next year, an increase of $801.56 from 2024.

“It’s kind of tough, and there are some single people who just live alone and have nobody. So I feel like it helps them to feel that people are around them and here for them,” Deanna noted.

One of the BDFRC clients is Daniel Guimond. This year marks his second time receiving the hamper. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

It was not just Deanna; battlefordsNOW talked to multiple food bank clients during the event, all of whom agreed that inflation burdens their lives.

As of now, 330 families have registered for the food hampers, which translates to 1,075 individuals, benefitting over four per cent of the Battlefords’ population.

Linda Markovich, a long-serving food bank volunteer, said seeing the smiles on people’s faces and the excitement of children receiving the hampers keeps her coming back to help.

“There are so many smiles and so many happy people,” she noted. “This is the best place to spend the days before Christmas.”

Blake Feist, the manager of BDFRC, and Kristen Murtaugh, a frontend worker. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW Staff)

When asked how she believes the food hampers could help people embrace the Christmas spirit, she said it inspires a sense of gratitude.

“By smiling and passing it on, by realizing that all might not be good, but it is much better than many people still, I think we should all be grateful for the community and for the caring, and for an opportunity to one day do something nice for someone,” Markovich said.

“As always, it’s a beacon of hope that someone cares.”

Each family hamper costs around $250 and contains around 30 items, including a full-size turkey, a ham, different sides for a Christmas dinner, and two toys for the children.

Mayor Kellie Hawtin helps the food bank by distributing hundreds of hampers to clients on Dec. 23, 2024. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Among all the volunteers, Kelli Hawtin, the mayor of North Battleford, also came out to help with the distribution and said it was a “good day to give back.”

“There are a lot of people that otherwise might not have the ability to feed their families, especially a nice meal, that the food bank is able to provide,” Hawtin said when asked what the food bank means to the community.

In addition to the hampers, BDFRC provided free cab rides home for families who came in to receive a hamper but didn’t have a ride.

(Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com