Students raise money and awareness for SASH food bank

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on March 22, 2025.

Students at the Magrath Elementary decorated paper grocery bags to help the SASH Disability Support Services food bank.
The bags were sold at Rooster’s Country Market Place, the local grocery store for the town, for a donation of $2, with some community members donating additional money to help the cause.
The campaign raised more than $800 and Rooster’s donated an additional $200 to round the donation up to a total $1,000.
Jay Mackenzie, owner of Rooster’s, says the demand for food banks has increased in the last decade and while many initiatives to support them happen in the fall, there is need for donations year-round.
“There’s always lots of ramp up in the fall to fill the foodbanks up for Christmas, but then quite often people get busy in the new year and forget that the food banks still need food.”
The bags were decorated by the students, with some of them drawing sports teams, community pride or inspirational messages. Mackenzie says it was fun to see all of the designs the kids came up with.
“It was interesting to look at the different bags the kids had created some of them were just fun decorated bags, others were community proud type stuff. ‘Make yourself proud’- that was one of my favourites.”
He adds that through this campaign, the children were able to learn the meaning of community.
“The kids were realizing at a young age what community’s all about and helping your neighbours out when they’re in need.”
James Price, disability support co-ordinator for SASH, says teaching children about the food bank helps remove the negative perceptions around them.
“When you’re talking to kids at that age, showing them that yes these things are a thing, it reduced the stigma and the stereotypes you think of when you think of someone accessing the food bank.”
He adds that with the destigmatization of food banks it will hopefully encourage those who need it to access the help it can give.
The food pantry in Magrath opened back in 2023 and relies solely on community support to run.
Price says the campaign was the second largest they had to support the food bank, and while he isn’t surprised at the community support, it was a surprise as SASH was not the ones co-ordinating the fundraiser.
“Being a recipient of something that we didn’t have to try to plan or prepare, that was one of the biggest surprises.”
When the food pantry opened, they averaged about 10 hampers a month. They have since doubled that number, with many of the recipients using it only a couple of times when things get tight.
Price says he has seen many people who have used the food pantry give back once they are in a more secure spot financially.
“One of the biggest things we’ve seen in the community, you have people that will come and access the food hamper and then once they’re in a better situation, they’re actually coming and donating to the food pantry as well.”
While the campaign is over, Rooster’s is excited to make it a yearly event. They also have a donation bin year-round for people to donate to the food pantry.

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