Mark Johnston of Mark’s No Frills in Cochrane has been making weekly grocery donations to the children at the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre (CAC).
“It is such a great bunch of people doing everything they can for these children that have had tough times,” said Johnston of those at CAC. “After going on a tour, I was just awestruck on how great the people there are.”
Johnston said he had heard that the foundation was losing their grocery sponsor and thought that it would be a good opportunity for Loblaw Companies Ltd. and approached them about providing groceries.
He said that Loblaw has become pretty well known for its President’s Choice Children’s Charity, which provides a number of types of support to children across the country.
Loblaw agreed and made a donation of $2,500 (a year’s worth of groceries) to go towards groceries for the centre. Johnston said people from the foundation began coming to the Cochrane No Frills Oct. 7 and return once a week to pick up items such as fresh fruit or peanut-free snacks for the kids.
Stacey Meyer is the community relations manager with CAC and said Johnston was an amazing advocate for them and really spearheaded the movement to get the donation.
CAC assesses, investigates, intervenes and provides treatment and support for sexual abuse and the most severe cases of physical abuse and neglect. They provide services for children from birth to 18 years old.
“We have approximately 120 new children through the centre every month, plus the kids that return to the centre for their therapy,” said Meyer.
He said some of their partners at the centre include Alberta Health Services, Calgary Police Service, RCMP and Alberta Justice. Although they are located in Calgary, he pointed out that they serve all of Southern Alberta – from Red Deer to the border.
He explained that although CAC is not a residential program where people stay overnight, they are open 24 hours.
“When the kids and family come to the centre often they are here for extended periods of time. They could come in the middle of the night or they could come first thing in the morning,” said Meyer. “You always like to have some groceries on hand to make their stay and their experience here at the centre comfortable and by having Loblaw and No Frills in Cochrane involved, it allows us to do that.”
For more information on CAC visit sheldonkennedycac.ca.
