Community Resource Article: Free or Affordable Items for Basic Needs

Community Resource Article: Free or Affordable Items for Basic Needs

Many people in our community are working low-wage jobs, where every penny needs to be stretched to help meet the basic needs for the household. There are times when due to a crisis or losing a job, paying for items needed at home can be challenging. One incredible thing about our community is that there are many programs and services either by government or non-profit agencies that can help when the budget is a bit tighter. Many people in our community are working low-wage jobs, where every penny needs to be stretched to help meet the basic needs for the household. There are times when due to a crisis or losing a job, paying for items needed at home can be challenging. One incredible thing about our community is that there are many programs and services either by government or non-profit agencies that can help when the budget is a bit tighter.

This is a range of resources that can serve as a starting point when faced with this situation.

Food Shortage:
Edmonton Food Bank: The Edmonton Food bank can provide food hampers with food that can help for some time. The food that gets distributed are collected from donations and their centres are ran by volunteers. People in need can go to a physical location or order a food hamper online. The phone number is 780-425-4190 and www.edmontonsfoodbank.com/ is the website.
We can Food Basket Society:  The WECAN Food Basket operates by buying bulk from wholesalers and local producers and passing the savings on to its members. Families needing to stretch their food budgets with healthy food choices may join the WECAN Food Basket and purchase a monthly food order. Membership costs only $5 for a year and the membership fees go towards supporting the program’s volunteers. The phone number is 780-413-4525 

Household Goods:
Edmonton Emergency Relief Services: The Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society (EERSS) is a small group of people dedicated to serving victims of fire and disaster by helping them with the basic supplies, such as household necessities, and furniture. They have a thrift store that sells household goods at low prices, located at 10255 104 Street. Their website is https://www.eerss.org/ and phone number is 780-428-4422.

Transportation: 
Discounted Bus Pass: The Ride Transit Program offers a monthly transit pass to eligible low-income Edmontonians at a subsidized rate of $35/month.  You must apply in order to be able to purchase a subsidized transit pass. The webpage with more information is
www.edmonton.ca/ridetransit

Free Activities and Entertainment:
Priceless Fun Guide: This is a comprehensive list compiled by the City of Edmonton that outlines different fun activities such as city attractions, parks, cheap equipment rentals and more. www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/documents/PricelessFunSpringSummer.pdf is the link for the actual brochure.

Community Leagues: Community Leagues exist in every neighbourhood in Edmonton, and the programs and events are by volunteers. Depending on your neighbourhood, there could be free or cheap events that are happening such as block parties, movie nights, local parades, and more. To find your community league, visit www.efcl.org or call 780-437-2913.

Green Shack and Pop Up Play Neighbourhood Programs: Every summer, each neighbourhood has a Green Shack or a Pop Up Play program, where children ages 6- 12 can participate in games, crafts, activities, and sing-along. Check the schedule and which park in your area it is taking place, go to www.edmonton.ca/playgrounds.

Leisure Access Program: The Leisure Access Program (LAP) allows eligible low-income Edmontonians to access participating City of Edmonton recreation facilities through an annual pass or a subsidized monthly pass. The facilities that can be accessed include city attractions, pools, golf courses, and more. A monthly family pass for recreation centres is over $100 per month, but with the Leisure Access Program  The website to get more information is www.edmonton.ca/lap. While many of these are specific programs in Edmonton, there are certainly equivalents in other cities and towns. A quick online search while adding the name of the town or city can help identify specific services in the area.

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