The Lloydminster and District Co-op, along with the Lloydminster RCMP, will be working Thursday to fill the bellies of Lloydminster residents, right before the Easter weekend.
Operation H.O.P, which stands for “Help our People,” was the brainchild of the Co-op, the RCMP and local radio station 106.1 The Goat. Its goal, through financial donations at the register, is to offer a COVID safe way for people to help the Salvation Army purchase high-need grocery items for community programming supporting seniors and youth in Lloydminster and the surrounding area.
Constable Melanie Flynn with the Lloydminster RCMP says they will be bringing two of their larger vehicles. They hope to stuff both of them by day’s end.
“Those non-profit organizations around the city are so vital in ensuring that all residents get the food and funds and their needs are met around the city.”
People will be able to support Operation H.O.P as they continue with their normal grocery shopping. At the end of their April 1st visit, cashiers will give them the option to add a $10 or $20 donation to their receipt.
From there, the funding will be put towards items that are easy to make and have a long shelf life such as soup, macaroni and cheese, instant porridge, and more. These items will be distributed to local senior citizens and youth, along with other people in need throughout Lloydminster.
Co-op VP of Operations Chase Scarf says especially with COVID-19’s impact on the community, their commitment to giving back to the community was even more in focus.
“Feeding families is at the heart of what we do, and community is one of our values too. The need exists for fundraising right now, it’s been put on hold for a long time due to COVID-19, so we had a good opportunity with a couple community partners.”
The event will run from 9 AM to 9 PM on April 1st, and residents are encouraged to donate at any time that day.