Edmonton Veterans Association asking for donations to food bank
Global News
On the anniversary of D-Day, the Veterans Association in Edmonton and Calgary opened its doors to share how it's helping military and RCMP veterans.
On the anniversary of D-Day, the Veterans Association in Edmonton and Calgary opened its doors to share how it’s helping military and RCMP veterans and appeal for community support.
The association helps more than 1,000 veterans with the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP through its Edmonton and Calgary locations.
It runs the Veterans Association Food Bank but also helps people fill out Veterans Affairs paperwork and access mental health support.
“As a veteran myself, with 20 years in the service and four tours overseas, I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD,” said Melanie Harris, spokesperson for the Veterans Association.
“To have a place for me to come and have purpose after service is very important…. It might be a simple hello, a cup of coffee, or even a food hamper for the day.”
Harris said veterans’ impulse to serve can make accessing the general food bank challenging.
“If they line up at the regular food bank, they’re going to look over and say, ‘That person needs it more than I do,’ and they’ll step out of line,” she said.
The Veterans Food Bank is run by other veterans.