Ahead of the looming closure of the Veterans Food Bank in early 2019, roughly 50 veterans and supporters game together Tuesday night united in their goal of ensuring there is no disruption to the service for veterans in need.
“The turnout was great and this thing came together relatively quickly,” said Eric Nauss, spokesperson for the newly formed Veterans Food Bank group. “To see this many people here to support shows how valuable and how much in need this group really is.”
Alberta Legion Command Staff announced in July that the Veterans Food Bank facility would close next year when the building’s lease expires. Legion officials said fundraising for the charity had become increasingly difficult and operating the only veterans food bank in Canada conflicted with guidelines of the Poppy Fund. Services for veterans will be offered through legion offices but many veterans say that doesn’t go far enough.
“The reason there’s a separate food bank is because a veteran won’t go to a regular food bank because they would think they’re taking food away from someone who needs it,” explained Captain Dan McLean, an Air Force veteran. “That’s why there’s a separate food bank.”
“If a veteran comes in the door and says I need some food, the only thing you should be doing is A. verify they are a veteran and that’s it. They need something to eat, you feed them.”
Nauss says there is a significant need for help amongst those who served our country.
“There are a lot of stats out there about how many veterans are homeless, how many veterans have too much pride to go ask for help, who are finding places to sleep by getting mattresses out of back alleys,” said Nauss. “There is a much greater need out there in Calgary than the average citizen is aware of.”
Organizers with the new Veterans Food Bank say they have strong financial commitments in place from the public sector and plans are in place to reach out to former donors. The group is surveying possible locations for the new food bank and plan to work with the current Veterans Food Bank to see if they can reach an agreement on a transfer of equipment and supplies.
Additional details regarding the new food bank are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
With files from CTV’s Shaun Frenette
