A grocery stop in Sherwood Park can also become a chance to help a neighbour when Cram a Cruiser returns on Friday, October 16.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., RCMP members and Strathcona County Enforcement Services staff will collect donations for the Strathcona Food Bank outside three local grocery stores.

The idea is simple: buy a few useful extras while shopping and help fill a police cruiser with donations.

For households planning their regular errands, the collection offers an easy way to make local food assistance part of the same trip.

Three convenient collection points

Donations can be dropped off at Superstore, #100–410 Baseline Road; Save-On-Foods, 60 Broadway Boulevard; or Safeway, 2020 Sherwood Drive.

Staff will be outside the stores with cruisers ready to receive contributions during the five-hour collection window.

Choose the location that works best for your shopping plans, and check the current event details before heading out.

The drive brings together familiar community services around a practical goal: helping stock the shelves used by local individuals and families.

A record to build on

Last year, residents filled 18 cruisers in five hours, donating 5,476 pounds of food and $1,838 in cash.

That surpassed the 2024 collection of 4,700 pounds and $900.

This year’s challenge is to build on that response and bring in more support for the food bank.

The numbers provide a target, but the everyday value comes from the food and essentials available to households that need assistance.

Make each donation useful

Requested items include canned fruit without added sugar, plain tomato sauce, pasta sauce, unseasoned rice and peanut butter.

Toothpaste, bar soap and toilet paper are also on the needs list.

Checking what is requested before shopping helps turn a good intention into a contribution the food bank can use.

A donation does not have to mean filling a whole cart; shoppers can choose an amount that fits their own budget.

Those considering fresh or frozen food should arrange it with the food bank first by calling 780-449-6413.

Perishable donations require special handling, and home-canned food and preserves are not accepted.

Help beyond collection day

The Strathcona Food Bank has provided food assistance in Sherwood Park and rural Strathcona County since 1983.

It relies on donations and is operated by volunteers and a volunteer board.

Residents who cannot attend the collection can still explore financial donations or volunteer opportunities.

Financial contributions give the organization flexibility to purchase what is needed when it is needed, rather than relying entirely on the mix of items arriving through food drives.

That can include fresh dairy, produce and meat, which help support a more balanced supply of food.

The need continues beyond a single collection day.

Anyone interested in volunteering should check the organization’s application process and current availability before making plans.

People considering a separate workplace or community food drive can also contact the food bank to coordinate their effort.

A useful next step is to plan ahead.

Choose a collection location, add requested essentials to your shopping list and set aside time within the October 16 collection window.

Whether the contribution is one item, several bags or a financial donation, the purpose is the same: helping neighbours in Sherwood Park and rural Strathcona County.

Check the Food Bank event details, the County announcement and the current donation guidance.