Question: What is a "Hamper"?
Answer: A hamper is a cart of food pre-assembled for households. Hampers will be sized to match the number of people in the home of the client.
Question: What is in a Hamper?
Answer: Each Hamper will have a variety of items depending on what we have. There will be dry goods (rice, pasta, and cereal) as well as canned goods and other products like peanut butter. Each Hamper will also have meat, margarine, dairy and produce as available.
Question: How can I get a Hamper?
Answer: If you have never been to the Food Bank before, you will need to bring a 30-day Bank Statement and a Rental Agreement (or equivalent) to the Food Bank offices (327 3rd St W) so our Intake Worker can create a file for you.
If you have already been through the intake process, you can call our office at (403)-793-2535 to make an appointment.
Question: Will you share my personal information with anyone?
Answer: Any information given to the Food Bank by a client, donor, or volunteer is strictly confidential. We do not share personal information with any other organizations, individuals, law enforcement, or government entities. Any statistical data being shared will be fully anonymous.
Question: Do I have to pay for the Hamper?
Answer: No you don’t. Food assistance provided by the Food Bank will always be at no cost to the clients and never conditional on any other actions (such as volunteering or donating).
Question: What do I need to do when I pick up my Hamper?
Answer: You simply come to the Food Bank door at your appointment time and knock on the door. We’ll hand over the Hamper and you need to supply some bags to put the food in.
With the total weight of the food and the addition of frozen and refrigerated items, you will need a vehicle to transport your food home.
Question: What if I am late to my appointment?
Answer: If you know you are going to be late, please call us to let us know or reschedule if needed.
Question: What if I miss my appointment?
Answer: If you are not going to make your appointment, you should call us to let us know so we can give your appointment to someone else. If you miss your appointment with no warning, you will not be able to rebook for 2 weeks.
Question: Is the Food Bank accessible to disabled people?
Answer: Yes we are. The Food Bank is located on the ground floor of the Community Building and there are no stairs (only a ramp) between the entrance and the registration office. Staff and volunteers will be happy to work with designated Support Workers or assist physically if needed.
Question: Do you follow FBC's Food Banking Code?
Answer: Yes we do. The Brooks Food Bank believes deeply in the Standards of Ethical Food Banking set by Food Banks Canada. To read more about these principles follow this (link).
Question: Do you abide by the FBC Standards of Financial Disclosure?
Answer: Yes we do! As a registered charity, our financials are available for public perusal.
Question: Do you give out expired food?
Answer: Some food we hand out may be past the best before date but doesn’t mean it isn’t safe to eat. For more information on Food Banks Canada’s standards around product dates follow this (link).
Question: Do you accept homemade food as donations?
Answer: Unfortunately, we cannot accept home-cooked or home-canned products due to provincial regulations. We can accept garden produce, and any products that have been produced in federally inspected facilities (meat, eggs, etc.)
Question: Are you funded by the government?
Answer: We are a Non-Government Organisation that is supported solely by donations. We do not receive any government money except grants we apply for and receive through the FCSS.
Question: Do you need any volunteers?
Answer: At the moment, we do not need any new volunteers. If you are interested in helping us out in the future, you can send your information to (brooksfoodbank@telus.net) to be added to our call list of volunteers for future large projects.
Question: What if I have a complaint?
Answer: The Brooks Food Bank is committed to providing excellent service. If anyone wishes to share their feedback, they are encouraged to contact the Manager (brooksfoodbank@telus.net) or (403) 793-2535. The BFB staff and Board will try their best to resolve the issue.
If you feel the issue is not fully resolved, Food Banks Canada's Customer Experience Hotline is available to you at: 1- 877- 280 – 0329 or complaints@foodbankscanada.ca
Question: What if I have a question not on this list?
Answer: We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to brooksfoodbank@telus.net with any other questions you may have about the food bank.
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