Calgary Food Bank receives more than £6,000 from the Ismaili Muslim community

A group of Ismaili Muslims teamed up with the Calgary Food Bank on Saturday to help those in need.

The Ismaili CIVIC Ramadan Food Drive collected more than 6,000 pounds of food to donate to the Calgary Food Bank on Saturday.

It's part of a 15-year-old initiative that demonstrates “the spirit of compassion, generosity and community service that plays a central role in the month of Ramadan,” said Nimira Alimohamed, a member of the Ismaili Council for External Relations. Prairies.

Volunteer Alisha Visanji said donating food is part of what her community wants to give back.

“Community volunteering is really a way of practicing our faith, generosity, piety, helping the vulnerable, ethics and values ​​that help improve the quality of life of people in the communities we live in,” Visanji said.

Betty Jo Kaiser, communications and events manager for the Calgary Food Bank, said the donation was greatly appreciated and needed more than ever.

“The last two years have been very difficult for a lot of people,” Kaiser said. “Right now, about 30 per cent of people accessing the Calgary Food Bank count full-time employment as their primary source of income. This basically means that wages are not going up – the cost of living increases, food prices are really starting to affect people.

“It's so important to have people like these wonderful people collect food and bring it to the Calgary Food Bank so we can give it to those who need it most,” she added.

For more information or to donate to the Calgary Food Bank, go here.

With files from Tyler Barrow