Bourgeault & Associates of IG Private Wealth Management have provided a $2,000 boost to the Prince Albert Food Bank in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bourgeault & Associates team joined the food bank’s executive director Kim Scruby on Thursday afternoon for a cheque presentation.
“We just thought that during this crisis, that there was going to be a lot of people challenged to meet their basic needs, so we wanted to step up to the plate,” said Paul Bourgeault.
“We recognize that all charities are challenged with their fundraising efforts in this time,” he added, but figured the food bank was the most immediate need.
He explained that the team gives back $5,000 to the communities they serve every year. They have offices in both Prince Albert and Shellbrook.
“We just recognized that in addition to what we normally do, there’s probably a need, so we just pooled our resources.”
As a company, IG Private Wealth Management has donated funds from its annual comedy show to the food bank before it switched over to the Alzheimer Society this year.
“This is a huge help for us. We’re going to be seeing increasing numbers even more once the lockdowns are all taken away,” emphasized Scruby.
The Prince Albert Food Bank has been busy throughout the pandemic, but not like it’s used to. Because of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Scruby said less people are coming by for hampers, but staff have been steadily helping other community groups.
He said he’s surprised, but grateful, that donations have kept coming in throughout the pandemic. He thanked donors like Bourgeault & Associates for helping people in need on a regular basis.
“Everybody definitely stepped up. We didn’t even put the call out for donations and they had already started coming in,” said Scruby.
“People around here just kind of sensed that there was a problem and they stepped forward and helped out.”
With an anticipating spike in demand, Scruby said the food bank will likely start expanding its hamper hours in the near future.
Currently, people in need can pick up food hampers between 1 and 2:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Each hamper provides a three-day supply of food, depending on inventory.
