The Parkland Food Bank Society in Spruce Grove, Alberta, is providing thousands of extra meals to the community thanks to successful food drives held by local businesses throughout 2025. By collecting a combined 4,169 pounds of non-perishable goods, these companies helped create roughly 3,474 immediate meals for Tri-Region residents (using the standard 1.2 lb = 1 meal conversion). Donations of staples like pasta and canned vegetables have allowed the charity to spend more of its budget on fresh items such as eggs, milk and meat.
Several local companies participated in a challenge where they each chose a specific category of food to collect. Zender Ford gathered 1,228 pounds of pasta, while Exel Financial brought in 1,475 pounds of pasta sauce. Other contributors included Drayden Insurance, which collected 1,085 pounds of canned vegetables, and FABCO Plastics, which focused on dry side dishes and contributed 381 pounds.
These large donations of pantry items are helping the food bank change how it uses its funds. Because the shelves are now well‑stocked with boxed and canned goods, the organization can use its Fresh Food Fund to buy high‑quality protein and produce for families. This shift is a key part of the group’s 40th‑anniversary efforts as it prepares to move into a larger facility to handle more fresh food storage.
The food bank says every dollar not spent on a box of pasta can instead go toward healthy food for a child’s breakfast. The organization, which was featured in the Spruce Grove Examiner in July 2025, uses the industry standard calculation where every 1.2 pounds of donated food equals one complete meal.
