Lori McRitchie, executive director of the Airdrie Food Bank, said their clients will continue to be able to access emergency support during the organization’s move to their new building the week of Aug. 18.
“So what’s going to happen is people will still walk in, we’ll still be here and we can give them something right off the bat,” said McRitchie. “If they need a hamper, we have boxes prepared that will have the basics that will tide them over for a few days.”
“We don’t even have the sidewalks in yet (at the new building) so we can wheel carts easily,” she explained, “but we will have emergency support.”
McRitchie said she and her staff are excited to make the move to the new purpose-built building that is located on the same land as the existing food bank on East Lake Way in Airdrie’s northeast.
The new building is 6,000 square feet and includes a large warehouse, community kitchen, meeting room, offices and an expanded client area.
The building is expected to cost about $1.3 million and McRitchie said the organization has raised about 90 per cent of those fund from government grants and private donations.
“I can’t wait until it all happens,” she enthused. “The building is gorgeous. It’s all so cool.”
The organization is still looking to sell a few more bricks as part of their fundraising campaign, Put Another Brick in the Wall. Bricks that will make up a special focal wall in the new building are being sold for $100 each with all the funds going to support the completion of the new facility.
McRitchie said there are 800 bricks in the wall and they have sold approximately 250 to date. The subway-tile-style bricks have been donated by Granite Transformations of Airdrie.
For more information about the Airdrie Food Bank’s new building and the Put Another Brick in the Wall campaign, visit www.newairdriefoodbank.com
