It’s been 10 years of serving Lloydminster and area for the staff and volunteers at the Olive Tree.
Becky Schille, CEO at the Olive Tree says it was great to look back at how far the organization has come, the friends they have made and the challenges that the non-profit takes on.
“Food bank numbers have grown pretty substantially. Soup kitchen flow is a little bit, but right now we are serving about 125 people every night. Food security is what we focus on, but isolation is something that is really important to us. So, if anybody needs a delicious meal and some conversation, that’s definitely what our free community meals are for.”
A big challenge for the Olive Tree currently is that they are buying food, says Schille.
“Right now, we are very short on food. For the first time in our existence, we have had to consistently purchase food items, which is not a norm for us. So, non-perishable items for sure we need. Cash donations are obviously always appreciated.”
The volunteers serve free community meals Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5 p.m. and there’s also a seniors’ lunch on Friday from 11 a.m.
As the colder weather is getting set to come in, Schille looks at the situation facing people who need a home.
“We do have guests every year that suffer with the health issues that come along with -40 temperatures. So, our new program, Homebase, is running and we are working really hard to get people that are unhoused into safe and long-term housing. There are always struggles there, and definitely we will see that again this year.”
The Olive Tree is also in the middle of its winter clothing drive to collect warm clothing for kids, teens and adults.
More information on the various programs and pitching in at the Olive Tree is available online.
