EDMONTON FOOD BANK GLEANERS SOCIETY

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EDMONTON FOOD BANK(GLEANERS SOCIETY)

• Shannon Kirwin, Megan Droppo, Sarah Hamill

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Aims and goals

• The face of hunger will surprise you. Edmontons
  Food Bank provides services to the working poor,
  people on fixed incomes, single-parented
  families, and those new to Alberta. Each and
  every day, some Edmontonians struggle to make
  ends meet for many different reasons.

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Aims and goals

• Food Bank provides services to the working poor,
  people on fixed incomes, single-parented
  families, and those new to Alberta.
• There is a pre-conceived notion that people who
  rely on Food Banks are only those who are either
  homeless or poor. This is not entirely true.
  There a re a wide range of people who rely on the
  food bank, some are employed full time but due to
  the high cost of living in edmonton especially
  cant make ends meet.
• The Edmonton Food Bank works in order to provide
  food for those in need, they work with larger
  corporations and businesses in order to raise
  awareness to the community about those who are
  poverty stricken.
• The Edmonton Food Bank provides awareness on
  issues like, increases in the rates paid by
  Alberta Works, more affordable housing, and more
  affordable and universal child care.
•  The boards chair, Jack Little along with the
  countless volunteers and paid workers for the
  Edmonton Food Bank believe that
• Can by can, dollar by dollar, you have made a
  difference

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Activities of the Edmonton Food Bank

• Plant-A-Row/Grow-A-
• Row
• Alberta Share
• THINK Food and
• Phones for Food

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Activities

• Writing a letter to an MP on behalf of the
  Edmonton Food Bank and the poverty stricken in
  Edmonton the letters purpose is to bring
  important issues such as the 40 of food form the
  bank going to children.
• The Harvest Lunch The Harvest Lunch is a
  social gathering that the Edmonton Food Bank puts
  together on a yearly basis. This gathering is
  also one of the largest fundraisers that the Food
  Bank puts together, with lunch, auctions, guest
  speakers and media attention.
• Volunteer Hours The volunteer hours provided all
  of our group with great insight into the
  lifestyles and situations of the people who
  exercise their right to use the Food Bank.

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Effects on democracy

• Positive effects on democracy
• Gives bottom-up representation to an
  underrepresented portion of the population
  (people living in poverty)
• Social capital within communities
• Improving the quality of life of the community
  can make it easier for people to participate in
  the democratic process

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Effects on democracy

• Hypothetical Negative effects on democracy
• Could give a disproportionate amount of attention
  to particular issues
• Run by a small group of people, and so does not
  necessarily reflect the views and ideals of the
  majority
• Overall, effect is positive
• However, the Food Bank focuses on meeting basic
  daily needs of the underprivileged. As opposed to
  taking political action.