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The Veterans Food Bank in Calgary is scheduled to close in January, and some fear the closure will affect the dozens of veterans who rely on the service each month.
David Klug, Spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Legion, The Poppy Fund Board of Directors made the decision to close the food bank to reallocate resources to other community services. ;Veterans.
Redirecting Resources
"The Poppy Fund is not going anywhere, it is not shutting down … it is redirecting these resources," Klug said. I think it will be an improvement and that it will more effectively fill the void of veterans. "
million. Klug said that veterans with access to the food bank often have other concerns that contribute to their need for service, such as income problems
"If a veteran needs to have access to a basket once by month or once every two months, there is a challenge that can not be met with this basket alone. "
He said that 80 veterans the service no longer needs it thanks to the support of the Legion.
Concerned veterinarians will fall into the loopholes
Josh Toney, co-founder of Food for the Forces, who raises tens of thousands of dollars each year for veterans food bank, He said he feared that some veterans do not fall in the cracks with the closure.
"I am totally out of myself and I am taken aback because the news is so fresh," said Toney.
million. Toney said the food bank served more than 100 veterans each month, before the organization changed the criteria to make it more difficult for clients to access supports, and now the closure is removing services to even more of people. Josh Toney co-founded Food for the Forces (Radio-Canada)
"There will be a huge gap in services for veterans," he said, adding that the food bank is "more than simple baskets "
Many veterans do not want to access Calgary's regular food bank because it does not allow them to take resources from civilians, Toney added, and Veterans Food Bank provided additional resources and supports tailored to Veterans Toney said Food for the Forces is committed to keeping the food bank open, or if it closes, another takes its place.
We would like something to be built from scratch if we must. "
The Canadian Heritage Project tried to prevent the closure
Melanie Mitra, CEO of the Canadian Legacy Project (CLP) – a veteran charity group, p ugly and supportive – said they heard about the possible closure a few weeks ago and they were immediately bewildered and disappointed, but tried to offer a solution.
Mitra stated that CLP President Dave Howard was in talks with the Calgary Poppy Fund and made a recommendation that they intervene and support the Veterans Food Bank.
"It does not matter what it looks like," she said.
"Whether it is the Canadian Heritage Project that does it or whether it is a group of partners that we would propose to do it.
Mitra stated that the CLP understood that their recommendation had been approved locally, but later discovered that the Legion Command had refused to go forward in that direction.
"[They] just wanted to go ahead with the closure of the veterans food bank, period," she said.
"You Should Question That"
Mitra stated that the donor still had the right to question what was happening with the Legion and the Calgary Poppy Fund.
"You should question that," she says. I hope that if someone makes a gesture like this, members of the public who support an organization will stop and ask themselves questions.
Melanie Mitra, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Legacy Project, said she sees them taking over operations of the Veterans Food Bank without interruption. This proposal was finally rejected. (Justin Pennell / CBC)
The CLP used to financially support the veterans food bank for years, but Mitra said that they were withdrawn in 2017 because they understood that they were well equipped to provide the service.
"We understood that they had about $ 2.5 million in reserves," she said.
"This confuses us … because we understand that the resources are there to handle something like the food bank"
Solution Oriented
Mitra says that at this point it is important to do not dwell on what is happening with Legion, Poppy Fund and Food Bank funds and where they are going now.
"It's going to come out," she said. "If there's something funny out there, it's going to come out and, we're fine as members of the public asking these questions of the organizations we support."
But, she said that it is important not to lose sight of what is most important in this situation: a solution for veterans' food services
"C & # What the Canadian Heritage project is about and if people want to support us, let me know, "she said. "We would appreciate that."
With records by Reid Southwick, Nelly Alberola
