Ruth's Pantry serves 150 Edmonton families facing food insecurity
A northeast Edmonton food-access program launched last fall now helps over 100 families weekly. A commercial kitchen expansion is in the works.
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When Lisa Kruy's household struggled with Edmonton's cost of living on a single income, her son's school connected her to Ruth's Pantry, a food-access program in northeast Edmonton. "I got to come in here, pick what I needed, and provide for my little family," Kruy said. "It's meant a lot to my family, because now my son gets to go to school with lunches."
Ruth's Pantry, a program of nonprofit SOAR Community Empowerment, launched last fall. The pantry currently serves more than 100 families on a weekly basis. Families register and return each week to select groceries without payment. "We want to give them a sense of dignity and empowerment, so that's why they get a shopping experience," said Craig Henkelman, SOAR's director and CEO.
A food source donates produce and meat, but the pantry welcomes donations of shelf-stable items. Staff recount stories of profound need: one family arriving with a child who hadn't seen milk in four days. The organization provided the family milk and eggs at no cost.
SOAR has launched a fundraising campaign called "1,000 for 150 for Kids," seeking 1,000 people to donate $150 each toward building a commercial kitchen. The kitchen would enable cooking classes for children and allow the pantry to prepare and distribute pre-made meals alongside fresh groceries. The source does not state the estimated cost of the kitchen or the campaign's current fundraising total or completion timeline.
How many families on the waiting list are unable to access the pantry currently?
What is the estimated cost to build and equip the commercial kitchen?
How much has the '1,000 for 150 for Kids' campaign raised to date, and when does SOAR expect to have sufficient funds?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many families does Ruth's Pantry serve weekly?
Ruth's Pantry serves more than 100 families on a weekly basis.
What is the '1,000 for 150 for Kids' campaign?
The campaign seeks 1,000 people to donate $150 each toward building a commercial kitchen at Ruth's Pantry. The kitchen would enable cooking classes for children and allow the pantry to prepare and distribute pre-made meals alongside fresh groceries.
