More than 300 supporters attended the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project harvest barbecue on Sept. 1. The project involves groups of people managing, harvesting and selling a crop and then donating the proceeds to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Other businesses help support the project by donating services such as auctioning, insurance, cooking, promotion and trucking. The community churches, including Lethbridge Mennonite Church, partner with the projects by raising awareness and helping cover some of the expenses throughout the year. Ed Donkersgoed, the organizing committee chair, is happy with the results of the project this year. “The support from the community is almost unbelievable,” he says. “In our 15 years, we have directly raised over $2 million which, when matched by the Canadian government, becomes over $10 million in food and food-related assistance worldwide. In fact, two of our best years have been during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year we expect to raise over $200,000 to be sent to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.”
—By Jessica Evans
A crowd gathers at the annual Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project harvest barbecue on Sept. 1. (Photo by Ed Donkersgoed)
