Red Deer Food Bank recognizes their 40th Anniversary in 2024

it’s been two generations & still the need remains

The Red Deer Food Bank is honouring 40 years in the community this year with special activities and events - virtual and in-person - every 40 days throughout 2024.

The campaign is called “40 for 40”. The Food Bank will be encouraging the community to come out and participate or share information online about how important a role the Food Bank plays in the city and surrounding region.

The Christmas Giving Season may be over, but the demand goes on all year long.

Donations, food, information & impact.

While it’s an accomplishment that the Food Bank has reached a significant milestone, it’s not exactly a party atmosphere they are feeling right now.

“Our demand has never been greater,” says Mitch Thomson, Executive Director of the Red Deer Food Bank. “It’s a privilege to know that we have so much support from the community, and we’re honoured to be of service for so long. Yet at the same time, it’s disheartening to see that the demand is only getting greater. We’ve had a 93.5% increase in volume of people served just since 2020.

“How do you celebrate something you quietly wish was not even necessary in our communities? That’s our challenge, so we are taking a humble and graceful approach to this occasion.”

Part of the plan is to make sure that our donors, volunteers, and those we serve, are all recognized during this special year.

“It’s why we wanted a combination of online and in-person activity - to thank and welcome anyone who has had or continues to have a relationship with us in any capacity.”

Events and social engagement.

There are more than a dozen events or online activities on the calendar for 2024, including nine specific to the “40 for 40” awareness campaign.

“We are being mindful about these events,” says Thomson. “Funds we receive go to the services we provide to feed the hungry, not to hosting events. So we are striking a balance of leveraging social media for awareness and sharing information which won’t have any cost; leveraging the annual events and food drives in which we already participate; and for those few new endeavours, we will be reaching out to look for some sponsors to offset any costs associated with our planned activities.”

On social media, hashtags for the campaign will include #40for40 and #EverybodyEats.

The calendar of events - which will be populated on the Events page of the website when confirmed - is currently planned to be as follows:

Day #	Date	Event	Description
41	February 10	Z98.9 Hockey Classic	We will be serving chili, snacks & hot beverages at the Winter Classic at the Eastview Arena. Donations of money & food will be accepted.
55	February 24	Coldest Night of the Year	Co-hosting with The Mustard Seed, this is a fundraiser to help those who are hungry, homeless & hurting. cnoy.org/reddeer
80	March 20	Spring Bouquets	Our social media will fill up with ‘bouquets’ from people we have helped and served at any time over the past 40 years. If you have a story to share about how the Red Deer Food Bank had a positive impact on your life, please complete the form below.
102	April 11	Happy Anniversary	The official anniversary date of RDFB’s incorporation.
104	April 13	Drive Thru Food Drive and LDS Food Drive	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is having their city-wide blitz food drive on this day, and we will have our doors open for our Drive Thru Food Drive. Come have a tour, learn about our programs, and grab some lunch from our BBQ!
120	April 29	Thanks to 40 Volunteers	We can’t do what we do without our volunteers! April is Volunteer Month, so throughout April we will be profiling our Volunteers, and on this day, watch for our compilation on our social media channels. Are you now or have you ever been a volunteer with us? We invite you to share your story by completing the form below.
132	May 11	Taco de Mayo	The Rotary Club of Red Deer East will be hosting Taco de Mayo again this year to raise funds for the Red Deer Food Bank. This is an invitational event, so buddy-up to a Rotarian to get on the short list!
160	June 8	Family Picnic	A combination food truck frenzy and wind-up before summer holidays, we would love to expand this into a kid-friendly event with bouncy houses and a movie-in-the-park. (Enter those sponsors we were talking about. :D)
200	July 18	Food Rodeo	It’s the day before Westerner Days! Let’s round up some food in a summer food drive and a BBQ! There’s more we’d like to do… sponsors with ideas and means, we’d love to hear from you!
240	August 27	40 Hours ‘til Back to School	Our Ice Cream truck will be set up at a splash park and we’ll be collecting donations that are kid-friendly for back to school. Some music playing and games… a great way to send off the summer.
280	TBD	Operation Food Lift	Come out to SkyWings Aviation at the Red Deer Regional Airport for the annual Operation Food Lift!
320	November 15	Anniversary Activity	We’re hoping to host a ticketed dinner… plans are still TBD.
TBD	TBD	Charity Check Stop and Stuff-A-Bus	Our annual food drives and fundraisers at the peak of The Giving Season.
360	December 25	That’s a Wrap!	A social share of all the highlights from our 40 th Anniversary year.

Spring Bouquets

If you or someone you know has been positively impacted by services received by the Red Deer Food Bank, please share your story here. Your privacy will be protected.

Open Form

Spring Bouquets

40 Volunteers Stories

Volunteers both past and current, we’d love to give you a profile in our social media.
It only takes a couple minutes to fill out this form. Thanks!

Open Form

40 Volunteers

Sponsorship Opportunities

Would you like to be involved in some of the activities we have planned for 2024?
Send an email to communications@reddeerfoodbank.com