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Final food drive at Thrifty Foods at Austin Station this weekend

Help out the food bank Saturday and Sunday before the Coquitlam Thrifty Foods location closes its doors for good on Monday.
Share hamper packing

Fill up your grocery cart at Thrifty Foods in Austin Station this weekend — the store's last at that location — and you can help fill up Share food bank shelves at the same time.

The Coquitlam Thrifty's location is closing as of Monday, soon to be replaced with Save-On-Foods, and is celebrating its final weekend with a food drive.

"They've been a consistent supporter, that's why this is a little bittersweet," said Michele Mateus of Share Family and Community Services of the Thrifty's closure.

Sobey's Inc. confirmed in January it would be closing the Riverview Heights Thrifty's, citing an inability to reach acceptable lease renewal terms with the landlord. The store employs 35-full-time and 105 part-time staff.

"On behalf of all of us at Share, we’d like to express our sincerest thank you for all of the generous support the staff and management at Thrifty Foods Austin Station has given us over many years," said Valerie Hutton, Share's director of development, in a release. "Their amazing support of the community and their fine corporate engagement has been stellar."

Food and funds will be collected at the store on Saturday and Sunday.

Mateus said that while people tend to think of giving to the food bank more during the Christmas season, the need is constant throughout the year. The Share food bank distributes 5,000 lb. of food to at least 375 Tri-City families every week, and 37% of those it helps feed are children.

"People are hungry all year round," Mateus said. "This is a great reminder for the community that there's a need for the food bank, and it's a struggle to get those donations."

Items that are most in need include high-protein and -nutrient foods like tuna, peanut butter, salmon, beans and lentils, as well as larger items that can be turned into more than one meal, such as a jar of tomato sauce.

Baby supplies are also appreciated for Share's Tiny Bundles program.

spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC