After its forklift broke, Edmonton’s Food Bank now has 2 thanks to fundraiser and large donation

EDMONTON -

Edmonton's Food Bank has been able to replace its broken forklift and buy a second one through a community fundraiser and a donation from a local company.

In March the food bank started a month-long fundraiser to replace a broken forklift and Edmontonians raised $25,000 in five days.

"We were really surprised that people were so engaged and understood our need for this equipment," said Marjorie Bencz, director of Edmonton's Food Bank.

Equipment dealer Leavitt Machinery offered the food bank the forklifts in a buy one, get one deal. The money raised by Edmontonians bought the first, and the company provided the second free of charge.

Leavitt Machinery made a monetary donation of $30,000 to the food bank as well.

Bencz says the equipment will not only serve the organization now, but also into an uncertain future post-pandemic.

"We don't know where we're heading as far as numbers of people who will need our services or the volume of food that we're going to need but we certainly will need the warehouse, our great volunteers and equipment to do the work we're going to need to do," said Bencz.

The Edmonton food bank is on track to move around five million kilograms of food this year.

"Without this equipment you can imagine how much labour it would take to move food," said Bencz.

Edmonton's Food Bank currently feeds more than 21,000 people a month.