Red Deer Food Bank Executive Director Mitch Thomson speaks at the Rotary Club of Red Deer East Community Kitchen grand opening celebration dinner on Tuesday. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Culinary classes and skills

Rotary Club of Red Deer East Community Kitchen officially opens in Food Bank

Apr 5, 2023 | 4:36 PM

The Red Deer Food Bank was transformed in white lights and curtains on Tuesday for the grand opening of the Rotary Club of Red Deer East Community Kitchen.

Numerous Rotarians from the club, as well as those from the Rotary Club of Red Deer and Sunrise, were present at the celebration dinner, alongside City Mayor Ken Johnston, Councillor Bruce Buruma, MLA for Red Deer-South Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-North Adriana LaGrange, and various other guests.

Mitch Thomson, Executive Director of the Food Bank (10-7429 49 Ave), says the Community Kitchen aims to help families achieve food autonomy by providing food that not only nourishes but is enjoyed. He says locals can learn about nutrition and how to stretch the shelf life of food through proper storing, meal prepping, canning, preserving and drying.

The new Rotary Club of Red Deer East Community Kitchen at the Food Bank. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

“I grew up in a house where my mom and dad worked. They were busy people and they did the best they could and I ate a lot of Kraft Dinner, a lot of hot dogs, and some of those things that were readily available. My mom was 17 when she had me, her second child. I learned to cook at home and she did over the years but she didn’t start with all of those skills,” he said.

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He says in 2022, $20 billion of food was wasted in Canada, with 67 per cent of fresh foods purchased ending up in landfills due to not finishing a meal, improper storing and other common errors.

While still developing its programs, Thomson says the Community Kitchen will also host cultural culinary nights and says schools have already approached him for possible home economic-style classes for youth. Programs will either be free, subsidized, or cost a small fee.

“It really is about making sure we get maximum value for the donations we receive and the most people possible can be fed and supported through food programs,” he said.

Thomson says the idea came roughly 10 years ago when the Food Bank started to get more fresh produce in varying monthly quantities. He says just last year in March, they received 55,000 pounds of fresh produce but only had one 12 by 16 foot fridge to store it. As they could not distribute it fast enough, some perishables were thrown away.

Thomson said they needed to find a way to manage inventory, and process and package food differently so families could receive more than just dry goods and be inspired to cook meals.

The $500,000 project to increase the Food Bank’s capacity brought in a larger fridge, three freezers, equipment and necessary electrical enhancements. Thomson confirmed the Food Bank was able to save roughly $100,000 over the years, the Rotary Club of Red Deer East committed another $100,000, the provincial government provided the same through the Community Facility Enhancement Program, and local government also provided additional funding.

“It’s a tragedy that we need a food bank in a prosperous country like Canada but then it’s also a wonderful opportunity for those of us who have enough food to come by and do something about it for those who need a hand,” said Ian Hartley, President for the Red Deer East Rotary Club. He says the club has already raised half of their commitment over the past two years and has upcoming fundraising events to achieve the rest.

“The motto of Rotary is ‘Service above Self’ and this project really epitomizes that. We wanted a legacy project, something that would be there for a long time, and this fits that.”

Full house at the celebration dinner for the grand opening of the Rotary Club of Red Deer East Community Kitchen at the Food Bank. (rdnewsNOW/ Alessia Proietti)

Thomson says in the past, the Food Bank would compost two 15 yard bins of fresh produce each week. With continuous efforts towards sustainability, they achieved zero waste in 2022, he says.

Another way they are doing that, he adds, is through their community engagement projects like barbeques and ice cream, coffee, and food trucks.

“We can’t always come to the table with our hand out as a food bank. We’re trying to add a little value to the food and to the donations and to the things that you’ve enabled us to prepare and have and do,” he said.

In 2022, Thomson says they received over one million pounds of food from grocery stores and served 70,000 people. They distributed food to 17 food banks in the region, 30 community agencies, 900 families and had 3,800 people walk through their door each month, each qualifying financially for their services, meaning they are living below the poverty line.

Opened six days a week, Thomson says future projects include a greenhouse and hydroponic growth container.