Accessibility will no longer be a challenge for clients at Red Deer Food Bank, whether they struggle with mobility or communication.
New sidewalks, ramps and accessible door mechanisms have been installed, and software and Android devices to address language, sight, hearing and cognitive barriers will soon be available to assist clients.
"We're excited. The Red Deer Food Bank has not truly been an accessible facility," said executive director Mitch Thomson about the efforts to reach more clients in ways that are comfortable for them.
"Just about a third of all clients are either seniors or receive a benefit for a disability, so we have a large number of clients that face mobility, communication and different challenges, so this will be significant."
Sidewalk improvements outside the food bank are now complete to make it easier for people to use mobility devices. The food bank's bays now have wheelchair accessible ramps, and several doors also have accessible mechanisms, with work planned for the rest.
The renovations will also help others, like mothers pushing strollers and people carrying or carting groceries, he added.
Grants made the upgrades possible. A $111,000 grant from Food Bank Canada allowed the local food bank to make its building physically accessible, and a $5,000 grant from Red Deer & District Community Foundation was approved last week to purchase software and devices that will allow staff and clients to better communicate.
Thomson said often there can be language barriers when world events bring newcomers to the community. But the new tools can even translate regional dialects.
"When the war in Ukraine started, we were initially seeing 25, 30 families a week. We didn't always have the support for people."
