Hundreds of people use food banks in this bountiful part of the Prairies, but providing protein as part of balanced food baskets is a constant challenge.
“Meat is the thing we buy the most of,” said Lethbridge Interfaith Food Bank executive director Danielle McIntyre.
“A substantial chunk of our food budget goes to meat purchases.”
That is why the food bank has launched a pilot initiative called Project Protein, designed to encourage southern Alberta cattle and hog producers to donate animals in return for tax receipts based on fair market value of the meat.
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The food bank will pay costs for processing into ground beef or pork, which it will then distribute to five other regional food banks.
The one-year pilot will use a $75,000 grant from the provincial community initiatives program to pay Project Protein co-ordinator Thressa Bens and cover processing costs of animals donated in the first year. Arrangements have been made with four provincially regulated and inspected meat processors in the region to handle donated animals.
Bens said the food bank anticipates livestock producers will be most likely to donate undersized or oversized animals that don’t meet specified weight ranges at federal plants.
Hogs lighter than 470 pounds will be accepted in the program and there is no weight limit on cattle.
Producers will be asked to bring donated animals to one of the four designated provincial abattoirs, but the food bank will cover the inspection and processing fees.
Bens said meat is rarely donated to the food bank, likely because of food safety issues, cost and perishability.
“The reason for this program is, instead of having to pay for the meat, we’d be able to get it donated like all our other items,” said Bens.
“We do try to follow the Canada Food Guide’s recommendations for protein. This will help with that and kind of supplement the beans and the lentils with actual meat products.”
The food guide recommends one to two servings of meat daily for children and two to three for adults.
Project Protein will serve clients at the Interfaith Food Bank, the Leth-bridge Food Bank and food banks in Taber, Vauxhall, Coaldale and Picture Butte, Bens said.
The food banks serve about 1,890 adults and 1,300 children a month.
The Interfaith Food Bank initially applied for a three-year grant to start and operate the program but re-ceived funding for only one year. A communications plan is now in the works to keep the project running after grant funds run out.
A brochure promoting Project Protein lists several benefits for the livestock industry:
- excellent public relations
- public education on identifying and preparing meat
- providing meat to those who need but cannot afford it
- helping create a sustainable food bank protein project
Financial donations to cover processing costs are also being sought.
For more information or to donate, contact Bens at thressa@interfaithfoodbank.ca or phone 403-320-8779.
