Okotoks Food Bank Association
Unit 7, 109 Stockton Point T1S 1B1 Okotoks, AB, Canada

What a great way to start the new year, and it comes with a dose of good health, too! Many thanks to Ryan and the team at @otfokotoks for their recent donation of $300. We will use it to purchase healthy fresh produce to be included in our food hamper program.

It might be January 14 today but we are still receiving Christmas presents at the Okotoks Foodbank! The amazing team at @eatbravopizza raised $1100 with their fundraiser last month for us! Big thanks to everyone who helped make this such a successful and tasty event!!

Last week to try the delicious Comfort & Joy fundraiser coffee from @rebelbeancoffee! Proceeds from this fundraiser will be shared with the Okotoks Foodbank, Oilfields Foodbank and Salvation Army Foodbank in High River. Purchases can be made on the @rebelbeancoffee website but hurry, the fundraiser ends this week!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Jan 6) Canned Meat Canned Fruit Ground Coffee... Jam Deodorant Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

The Comfort & Joy Coffee Fundraiser campaign by @rebelbeancoffee gets a big thumbs up from owner, Kerri Ann Colby. She has run this campaign on behalf of the local community foodbanks for two years now and in the process has raised $1945! Well done, @rebelbeancoffee!! Another example of the wonderful support given by local business leaders.

What’s Needed Wednesday (Jan 13) Vegetable Oil Cookies Jam... Hair Conditioner Dishwasher Detergent Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

The Christmas hampers have been distributed fir 2020, so now the Okotoks Foodbank will be closed until January 3. Anyone experiencing a food emergency during this period should call 587-585-1753. On behalf of the team at the Foodbank, thank you and Merry Christmas.

Can you believe what these young people did?! Owen Plumb, boy wonder of 3D face shields printing fame, along with the team at Face Shields for Foothills, raised $2251.79 for the Okotoks Foodbank! What a great story and incredible effort during this pandemic that has disrupted so many lives. Thanks for this beacon of light during our current dark days.

The students and staff at Dr. Morris Gibson school presented us with an amazing Christmas present today. They collected 715 lbs of food and $691 in money and grocery cards. This donation will help feed so many people in the months to come. Thank you all very much for demonstrating the true spirit of Christmas.

Here is a great opportunity to own a piece of beautiful art and support your Okotoks Foodbank. Local artist, Rani Crawford, is auctioning this acrylic painting, Winter Tree in Blue, with all proceeds coming to the Foodbank. You have until December 15 to bid on her Facebook site. Good luck!

Sending out a big thank you to the Wutzke family, and to Chase in particular, for participating in our Adopt a Family Christmas program for the past four years. This program is open until December 18 - email [email protected] for more information.

Sending a big thank you to the team at @r.f.g_meats for their support over the Christmas season. They have a food donation barrel on site, plus they are offering weekly specials that will benefit us. Make sure you check them out at their new location, 109, 45 North Railway Street!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Dec 16) Ground Coffee Fruit Roll Ups Tuna/Crackers, Cheese/Crackers ... Body Wash Liquid Laundry Detergent Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

What’s Needed Wednesday (Nov 18) Canned Meat Peanut Butter Pancake Syrup ... Deodorant Baby Diapers (size large) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

Sometimes a donation can just make your heart smile. We are all feeling this way after a visit from Dawn Elliott, Executive Director of the @countryhospice. The team at the Hospice held a pandemic friendly Bake Sale and raised over $1000! We are so grateful to be the recipient of this incredible donation. We will be putting this sum towards our Christmas food hamper program to help families in need in our community.

SNEAK PEEK OF OUR ACTUAL COOKBOOK!! We had a little hick up with our binding but we are hoping to have books THIS WEEK! Preorders are still available. Stay tuned for local businesses you can purchase copies from. Last but not least THANK YOU for the hundreds of preorders.

The Okotoks Foodbank is closed Wednesday November 11 for Remembrance Day. We will re-open on Thursday November 12.

Last chance to participate in the last session of @theeagle100.9 Feeding the Foothills for 2020! Shayne Hill is in her final hour of her show, broadcasting live from @saveonfoods. Drop by before 6 pm to say hi and help support the Okotoks Foodbank!#feedingthefoothills2020

We have added another local vendor to the list where you can buy a copy of the Foodbank Cookbook, celebrating our 35 years of community service - @anhonestroom! Other sources are @sobeysokotoks, @littlefastfresh, @94takethecake, @southbankpharmacytravelclinic, @selectfloors and Fountain Tire. Other vendors are welcome to join this list of esteemed businesses, just give us a call at 403-651-6629. The cookbook makes for a fantastic Christmas present!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Dec 9) Canned Fruit 1 litre Juice Meal Helpers (Stuffing, etc.)... Body Wash Baby Wipes Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

When the pandemic kicked into overdrive in March, we had to suspend our monthly soup making sessions with the Many Hands Soup volunteers. These homemade soups would go into our food hampers. We are delighted to share that Chef Mark Klaudt has stepped in to fill this void until our program can resume next year. Until then, he has volunteered his time and services to prepare healthy, tasty soups to be put into our food hampers. Nothing like love in a bowl to lift one’s heart. Thank you, Mark, for caring for our clients in this manner.

We are very grateful to be in the sight of Okotoks Citizens on Patrol. They have raised on our behalf $360 and 80 lbs of food. It was a pleasure to receive this from their representatives, Catina and Faye. Keep up the good work!

We are getting hungry just thinking about this sweet offer from @eatbravopizza! From December 1-20, a portion of the proceeds from all pizza sales will be donated to the Okotoks Foodbank. Aren’t you hungry now, too?! Thanks everyone for participating in such a great deal.

Sisters Hailey and Kya have been busy Elves, making Christmas decorations and selling them to raise money for the Okotoks Foodbank. Through their efforts, they have collected $175 on our behalf! Thank you both so much for wanting to help out this Christmas, very much appreciated.

What’s Needed Wednesday (Dec 2) Canned Fruit Ground Coffee Pancake Syrup ... School Snacks (tuna/crackers, cheese/crackers) Baby Diapers (size large) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

Sending out a big thank you to @okotoks_kinsmen for their donation of $2000 towards our Adopt a Family Christmas Hamper program. These funds were initially meant to be for for their annual Children’s Christmas Party but due to COVID-19, that event had to be canceled. We very much appreciate that they took those lemons and made sweet lemonade by sponsoring 16 medium size families to have a nice Christmas dinner this year.#adoptafamily2020

Registration for our Christmas Dinner Food Hamper program is open until December 11. More information can be found on our website, in the Western Wheel, or email [email protected]

We are accepting sponsors for the Adopt A Family Christmas Hamper program until December 18. More information can be found on our website, in the Western Wheel, or email [email protected]

THEY’RE HERE! Our latest shipment of the fundraising Cookbooks, celebrating 35 years of community service, has arrived. They are selling fast, so here are the ways to get your copy: 1) Visit us at 120, 220 Stockton Ave, Mon-Fri, 10-4 (cash or cheque only please) 2) Purchase online at www.okotoksfbcookbook.ca 3) Buy at these local businesses: @sobeysokotoks @fountaintire_alberta @littlefastfresh @94takethecake @select_floors @southbankpharmacytravelclinic ... Any questions, call us at 403-651-6629 or email [email protected]. These beautiful books will make great Christmas presents!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Nov 25) Canned Meat Condiments (Ketchup, Salad Dressing) Pancake Mix... Liquid Laundry Detergent Baby Diapers (Size 5 & 6) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

The Murphy family have a remarkable boy on their hands. Kade recently celebrated his 10th birthday and his request was to receive funds and food donations for the Okotoks Foodbank. He was gifted 50 lbs of food and $150. With this money, he is going to sponsor a large family for Christmas with our Adopt A Family program. Kade’s action is a beautiful reminder of the true spirit of Christmas.

This is the last week of @theeagle100.9 Feeding the Foothills campaign! Make sure you visit @saveonfoods between 3-6 pm today to meet the delightful Shayne Hill and help out the Okotoks Foodbank. Most needed items this week include: juice, dish detergent, canned meat/fish and Kraft Dinner. Thanks so much!!#feedingthefoothills2020

It is a wonderful thing to be supported by your local business community, so thank you very much, @homedepotcanada for the recent donation of 209 lbs of food. It will be a great help as we head into the busiest time of year.

We received another donation of ground beef today from local rancher, Stephen Hughes, of @chinookranch68. The timing was ideal, as our stocks were getting low in that department. Nothing like locally raised beef to help nourish our clients during this very difficult time in our community. Thank you all for the care and concern - we really will get through this pandemic if we stick together.

The @atcogas Bow Valley Charity Golf Classic had an outstanding event this year. This tournament is completely employee-driven and organized, and this year they raised $14000, a record amount. Thanks to their efforts, 14 foodbanks will receive $1000 each, including the Okotoks Foodbank. Our cheque was hand-delivered by Waylon Helman, for which we are so grateful.

More great numbers to share from our local schools recent food drives. We received 623 lbs from Dr. Morris Gibson and a whopping 1000 lbs from Ecole Good Shepherd. Way to go, students in taking hunger head on. We love all of you very much for sharing and caring in this way!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Nov 4) Liquid Laundry Detergent Liquid Dish Soap 1 litre Fruit Juice... Canned Meat Kraft Dinner (boxed mac & cheese) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

TEASER ALERT Here’s a sneak peek inside our cookbook! This recipe was a crowd fav during our photos. The rainbow slaw from our soups, salads and sides section was the perfect side dish. Did you know bison is high in protein, low in calories and grown in the foothills of Alberta!! Preorders still available. Physical copies in before the end of the month! It really is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone. All proceeds go back to the foodbank.

Many local schools decided to continue holding food drives in the month of October. The students at St. Francis of Assisi called theirs Boo to Hunger, and in the process collected 587 lbs of food! Thanks very much to everyone involved.

It would be remiss of us not to share how very good the Okotoks Minor Hockey community has been to the Okotoks Foodbank this past week. On Friday, members of the @okotoksoilers_u16aa visited us to deliver a cheque for $920, proceeds from the huge number of bottles collected in their bottle drive. And we also received an online donation of $1500 from an Okotoks minor hockey team from their 2019/20 season. These young athletes are as big-hearted as they are talented. Thank you all so much for the commitment to help your neighbour.

What’s Needed Wednesday (Oct 28) Canned Vegetables Canned Fruit 1 litre Fruit Juice... Jam /Honey Deodorant (men & women) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

Did you know that Chris Large is an award winning photography who works in the Canadian film industry? He’s worked with super duper stars and was willing to donate his time, knowledge and equipment to our project! He taught us so much about lighting and angles. He, and @brent.calver took this project to a whole new level. Today we review a physical copy and then send it to print! Who’s excited?!? This cookbook is beautiful, informative and the absolute best feel good Christmas gift you could give. Preorders available on the site. www.okotoksfbcookbook.ca

Sending a big thank you to @magnussen_real_estate for holding such a fun, pandemic friendly fundraiser last weekend! The Great Pumpkin Exchange was a huge success, raising $871 and 195 lbs of food, and all this despite the crazy cold weather. For those of you who missed out, don’t be sad, as Jay, Savannah and Adam have said they will make the Great Pumpkin Exchange an annual event!

Every photograph in this picture was taken by our incredible photography duo, Chris Large and @brent.calver. Each photo was styled by @mtraxel and our team of volunteers and each photo took almost an hour to shoot. The food was prepared by our awesome Chefs, @divinecookingathome @littlefastfresh @94takethecake and the irreplaceable Donna Large! The amount of care, time and love that went into each photo, each plate, each recipe and each page layout (all thanks to @theconvergestudios) is unmatched. We are so, so proud of this finished product and can't wait to hear all about your favourite pictures, recipes and memories! Don't forget to snag your preorder. They are selling like hot cakes!

The staff and students at @okotoks.junior.high.school refuse to let the pandemic dampen their spirits or interfere with the culture of community sharing and caring they work so hard to cultivate. Here at the Okotoks Foodbank, we were blown away by their latest feat - the donation of 1040 lbs of food, raised through various school activities and a very clever Scavenger Hunt. An A+ for everyone!#sharingandcaring

Ooey Gooey Good! That sums up the general feeling of participants in the recent Pumpkin Chunkin Harvest Festival held by the @okotoksoptimist at @country.living.okotoks. Not only did they build cool medieval equipment, they collected 100 lbs in food donations on behalf of the Okotoks Foodbank. Thank you all so much for including us in your fun day!#pumpkinchunkin

This project was a learning experience for all! We loved working with our chefs and learning new skills in the kitchen! This late night photo shoot was spent learning how to stretch the perfect pizza! This pizza recipe was originally submitted by Donna Large, our cookbook chair, and adding onto by @jarodtraxel, chef at @littlefastfresh The recipe offers a sheet pan method and pizza stone method! ... They whipped up pizza for our crew and we munched around the kitchen island, reminiscing about all the pervious photo shoots, edits, zoom meeting and countless emails. We hope this book helps create memories around your own kitchen in the same way it’s created them for us! Preorders open! Info in the bio. They are selling fast so secure your preorder copy today!! See more

Woohoo, today is the day for the Great Pumpkin Exchange! Come on down to the Okotoks Foodbank between 12 - 4 pm to get a beautiful pumpkin. All you have to do is bring a non-perishable food item or a monetary donation to exchange for a pumpkin. All of this fun is courtesy of the @jaygmagnussen Realty Team. The Foodbank is located at 220 Stockton Avenue - Hope to see you soon!

It’s here! It’s finally here! Preorders available at www.okotoksfbcookbook.com Preorders of our cookbook are open. Hard copies will be arriving long before Christmas. Shipping or pick up available. If you’re interested in multiple books please email us (link on our site) and we will find the best way to you. All proceeds go straight back to the Okotoks Foodbank. This book offers unique recipes submitted by community members, local producers and area chefs. We also have sections to up you cooking game! This is a cookbook for all levels. We have pour heart and soul into this project and we can’t wait for you to see it.

As the cookbook committee chair I am so proud of the work our committee did over this past 14 months to produce this wonderful cookbook! Everyone volunteered their time and expertise and all proceeds go directly to the Foodbank. Stay tuned for the online pre-ordering site to go live, also there will be physical sales points available soon. What a great Christmas present for your family and friends!

This is the fourth week of @theeagle100.9 Feeding the Foothills campaign! Today’s live broadcast is taking place at Sobeys from 3-6 pm this afternoon. Most needed items this week include: jam, canned vegetables, canned fruit, 1 litre juices & deodorant. Hope you can help us out, Okotoks!#feedingthefoothills2020

Wow, what a journey. Quietly over the last year, a crew of dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to create the Okotoks Foodbank Cookbook, to celebrate their 35 years of service in the Foothills (1985-2020). This book is a collection of community, producer and chef recipes, all highlighting the bounty of this incredible area. Pre-orders will be accepted in the near future(!), with the physical copies ready in hand well before Christmas. All proceeds go directly back to the Okotoks Foodbank. We are so, so excited to share this labour of love with you. Stay tuned for pre-order instructions! Thank you to our committee for their continued work on this project. We couldn’t do it without you.

It’s so good to have friends! The local charity, @itav_okotoks recently held a fundraiser and chose to share some of the proceeds with us - 125 lbs of beautiful fresh produce. We promise to put these heirloom carrots and potatoes to very good use! Thanks so much, Rachel and Bente for working close together and making this happen.

What’s Needed Wednesday (Oct 21) Toothpaste Liquid Laundry Detergent Sugar... Pancake Syrup Meal Helpers(eg. Hamburger Helper) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

There is only one hour left to shop at @saveonfoods and participate in @theeagle100.9 Feeding the Foothills campaign! Shayne is broadcasting live until 6 pm today, so make sure you stop by and help out the Okotoks Foodbank. Thanks, Everyone!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Oct 7) Ground Coffee Cookies School Fruit Snacks... Sugar Size Large Pull-up Diapers Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

Get ready, Okotoks, the next segment of @theeagle100.9 Feeding the Foothills campaign is soon to begin! For the next 6 Fridays, the Eagle will be broadcasting live from the local grocery stores, working hard to collect food and money for the Okotoks Foodbank. Today’s kickoff will be at @sobeys, hosted by the fantastic Shayne, from 3-6 pm. Most needed items this week are: laundry items like detergent & dryer sheets, school snacks, Kleenex, aluminum foil and toiletries. Happy Shopping!#feedingthefoothills2020

Nothing like a good sale to bring a smile to your face! Last weekend, @allthruthehouse held an Antique Market and Tailgate sale in support of the Okotoks Foodbank. They raised $400 and 167 lbs of food. Thank you so much, Monika and Team, for never letting us down!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Sep 30) Kleenex Feminine Napkins Aluminum Foil... Laundry Detergent School Snacks (cheese/crackers, tuna/crackers) Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

Sending out a big thank you to David Thompson and Adam Stepa of Infinite Chartered Accountants for their recent visit and generous donation of $2000. Having the support of our local business community is crucial to our mission to help those of our neighbours in need. Thanks so much, @infinitecharteredaccountants, for helping during this especially difficult time.

What a wonderful, caring young man, Brandon Marshall, is growing up to be. He is a grade nine student in the FSD Hub Program, who recently raised $267.40 and a bag of groceries for the Okotoks Foodbank, as part of his Social Studies unit on the topic of citizenship. You are a fine example of an involved citizen, Brandon, thanks so much!

What’s Needed Wednesday (Sep 23) Shampoo / Conditioner Deodorant (women & men) Aluminum Foil... Toilet Paper Laundry Detergent Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#sharingandcaring

Wow, what a display of brotherly love. So far, we have weighed 26,500 pounds of food donations, collected today by members of the @churchofjesuschristfoothills for this annual Okotoks Community Food Drive, and this number may grow next week! We are truly humbled by this outpouring of support for a neighbour in need. Bless you all for your sharing and caring hearts.#sharingandcaring

Today is the day! The Okotoks Community Food Drive, organized by the @churchofjesuschristfoothills is well under way, with vehicles driving to the Foodbank at 220 Stockton Avenue. We have everything set up so that the food drop off is safe and physically distanced. Food will be picked up until 1 pm, so happy collecting!#sharingandcaring

Only one more sleep before the Okotoks Community Wide Food Drive, organized by the @churchofjesuschristfoothills. The Drive will be held on Saturday September 19 and the grocery bags will be picked up between the hours of 9 am to 1 pm. If by chance your bag is NOT collected (unfortunately, with an operation this large, it can happen), please then either bring the bag to your favourite grocery store the next time you go shopping and deposit in our Food Bin, or the bag can be dropped off at the Foodbank during our operating hours. We always feel the love with this particular Food Drive - thanks so very much to everyone participating.

Look at the beautiful bounty from the Okotoks Foodbank’s Community Learning Garden! We have been blessed this year with a healthy crop and lots of volunteers to help. So far we have harvested 1200 pounds of fresh produce and we’re not done yet! Thanks so much to everyone who helped us reach this stage.

What’s Needed Wednesday (Sep 16) Ketchup Pancake Syrup Men’s Deodorant ... Diapers (Size 4) Toothbrushes Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

Hey Okotoks, it’s Fuel Good Day! Fill up your tank at the Okotoks Co-op Gas Bar any time today and Co-op will donate a minimum of five cents per litre purchased to your Okotoks Foodbank. All grades of gasoline and diesel are eligible. Happy fueling, and thanks so much for your support!#fuelgoodday2020

What’s Needed Wednesday (Sep 9) Canned Vegetables Canned Fruit Gluten Free Food Items... Deodorant (women & men) Dishwashing Liquid Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

The Okotoks Foodbank is closed Monday September 7. We will re-open on Tuesday the 8th. Wishing our community a happy Labour Day.

What’s Needed Wednesday (Sep 2) Canned Vegetables 1 litre Juice Kleenex... Deodorant (women & men) Dishwashing Liquid Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays

What’s Needed Wednesday (Aug 26) Juice (1 litre) Toothbrushes Jam / Honey... Deodorant (women & men) Shampoo / Conditioner Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays @ Camshay Plaza

What’s Needed Wednesday (Aug 19) Paper Towels Deodorant (women & men) Jam / Honey ... Shampoo / Conditioner Canned Tomatoes Thanks so much for sharing and caring!#whatsneededwednesdays @ Camshay Plaza