Optima Living Donates Food Equivalent to Over 25,000 Meals for Communities Across BC & Alberta

VANCOUVER, BC AND EDMONTON, AB / October 17, 2023 - Optima Living communities across Western Canada once again came together for National Food Bank Day on September 1st to raise a cumulative 22,000 pounds of food – tripling last year’s record. To achieve this, Optima Living formed teams using friendly competition to fuel their passion for the cause to see which team would collect the most food.

"For many people, these donations are their main source of food. At Optima Living, we're thankful to be a part of this important cause. We plan to keep doing this because it aligns with our core values of People, Place, and Community," shared Farid Damji, Co-Founder and Principal of Optima Living, emphasizing our commitment to adding to the fabric of the community.

All of our seniors communities contributed to the success of this large donation, however the Optima Living teams that collected the most food in their regional group were The Hamlets at Red Deer, which collected 2,186 pounds for the Red Deer Food Bank; the Hamlets at Penticton with 1,373 pounds collected for the Salvation Army Food Bank; The Edward collected 7,050 pounds for the Calgary Food Bank; the Country Cottage residence in Sherwood Park donated 596 pounds of food to the Strathcona Food Bank, and the Vancouver Regional Office collected 254 pounds for Directions Youth Services.

Participating organizations conveyed that the need for food this year was greater than ever.

“The Hamlets [at Penticton] did a wonderful thing, the need has never been greater,” said Al Madsen, Ministries Director at the Penticton Salvation Army. “There are even more of the working poor who are struggling just to put food on the table. The growth in the use of the food bank, you just can’t imagine,” he told the Penticton Herald.

“The Strathcona Food Bank is the winner of this friendly competition,” said Anke Berner, a volunteer for the food bank.”

“What started off as one residence hosting a food drive has ballooned into a competition amongst three residences. We are so very grateful for this partnership. The contributions from these food drives come at a time when our shelves need restocking. This year we have seen a 35% increase in need, so we are very appreciative of all the donations that came pouring in,” she said.  

The annual Food Bank Day Challenge is just one way Optima Living extends a supportive hand to the numerous communities it is an integral part of.

About Optima Living

Optima Living owns and manages a portfolio of 40 communities (4,300+ beds), including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, Long-Term Care, Brain Health, and Memory Care across Alberta and British Columbia. With over 4,800 residents and 3,300 employees, our North Star, "Let us welcome you home," reflects the transformative experiences awaiting seniors in our communities, where residents and team members are like family, in an environment that truly feels like home.

Learn more at OptimaLiving.ca.

Contact

Alyssa Barry
Media Relations
604-997-0965
[email protected]