Paramedics will once again be responding to the emergency of local hunger.
BC Ambulance Service personnel have established a Prince George tradition of parking empty ambulances at the front entrance of local grocery stores so shoppers and other supporters can stuff them full of donated groceries.
The ambulances will be at the following locations:
- Saturday, Spruceland Save-On-Foods from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Parkwood Save-On-Foods from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Dec. 14, College Heights Save-On-Foods from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 15, College Heights Save-On-Foods from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We are getting lots of volunteers, like usual," said paramedic Rob Pritchard, one of the cofounders of the local food campaign. "People in our organization are pretty supportive, and a lot of times it is because we see it first hand. Our people notice people in hardship, on our calls, and we want to do more."
Prince George was among the first in the province to try this public service effort, starting it up during the Christmas season of 2006. It started in Victoria a few years before that, while Pritchard was stationed there, then worked to transplant it here when he moved to Prince George. Now, other communities around the province are doing their own, largely based on the success in Prince George.
Each year the organizers of the food drive are in close contact with the organizers of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, one of the region's leading hunger-relief agencies, located at Second Avenue and Dominion Street. Pritchard said the word from "St. Vinnie's" is there is a high number of identified hungry people in need of Christmas hampers this year.
"So we are keeping the goals high," Pritchard said. "People in the community are starting to expect it and watch for us at the grocery stores. Some people do food drives at their work or through their families and friends, and they bring it to us to deliver."
Last year the paramedics' efforts filled more than 300 banana boxes with donated food. Their goal this year is to meet or beat that total.
