Frequently Asked Questions

Please call 780.425.4190 (Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm) to speak confidentially with a Client Services worker.

We provide food hampers to assist in short-term situations. Your hamper should last between five and seven days and will be built for the number of individuals in the household.

Your call will be answered by a Client Services worker who will ask for some information so we can best serve you. For example, “What is your current address?” will help us locate your nearest depot. Your information is kept confidential. You will be asked to provide a piece of identification (e.g. health care card) for yourself and each person in your household. If you are experiencing issues beyond food, our Client Services worker may be able to refer you to other support services to help.

In most situations, food hampers are built at the Food Bank warehouse and delivered to your community depot. There are depots in neighbourhoods throughout Edmonton located mostly in churches and community centres. Volunteers at the depot will greet you, ask for your identification and identification for each person in your household.

Please remember to bring a cart, buggy, wagon, suitcase with wheels, or other means to transport your food. Food hampers are based on your family size which means there may be multiple boxes to take home (i.e. about 10-14 kilograms of food per person).

Please be prepared to transport your box(es) of food OR repackage the food into your own grocery bags to take home.

If you are an existing client you may be able to use our online hamper order form. If you are able to answer “YES” to ALL of the following questions, please click continue and complete the FORM.

- I have received a food hamper from Edmonton's Food Bank within the last six months.
- I have used Edmonton's Food Bank services fewer than five times within the last six months.
- This is my first hamper within the last month from Edmonton's Food Bank.
- My address has not changed since I last used Edmonton's Food Bank.
- The people who live in my household and their identification are the same as the last time I (we) used Edmonton's Food Bank.

If you answered “NO” to any one of these questions, please contact the Food Bank at 780.425.4190 (Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm). When you contact the Food Bank, you will speak with a Client Services worker to discuss your situation and how we can help.

Online Hamper Process

Once the form is complete it is sent in for processing. You will receive an email copy with all the information you provided – this initial email does not mean that your food hamper is confirmed.

A second email will be sent to you with the name of the depot, date and time to pick-up your food hamper.

You must then reply to this email to confirm that you can pick-up your food hamper on the day, time and location (depot) provided. Once this email is received, your order will be filled. If you do not respond to the “confirmation” email – no food hamper will be built.

A hamper includes fresh and nonperishable items such as milk, eggs, bread, fruit, vegetables, yogurt, pasta, canned meat, and soup. The items in your food hamper vary as they have been donated or purchased by Edmonton's Food Bank. We do our best to follow Canada’s Food Guide to provide clients with a healthy food hamper.

If you have specific dietary needs such as those with diabetes or celiac disease, or if you require other items such as diapers, baby formula or pet food, please tell your Client Services worker and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

The majority of food has a Best Before Date which is NOT an expiration date. For most food, the Best Before Date is used for rotating food or is a "best quality before date".

Feel free to contact us if you have concerns or questions about the quality of your food hamper.

Best before dates are not an indicator of food safety. A “best before” date is set by the manufacturer and is about best quality or freshness and is used for inventory purposes.

We accept food within a year of its best before date and follow guidelines from Food Banks Canada and Alberta Health Services regarding food safety.

Products with expiry dates include baby food, baby/infant formula, adult liquid meal supplements (i.e. Boost, Ensure, Glucerna, Resource, etc.), and fresh meat. We do not accept food that has expired.

More information can be found at:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Health Canada website

Food Banks Canada Safe Food Handling Program

Edmonton's Food Bank bulk purchases fresh eggs for our food hampers and delivers them weekly.

These eggs are repackaged in gently used egg cartons and the date is stamped on the inside of the lid.

To check if an egg is good, simply place it in a bowl of water. If the egg sinks, the egg is okay to eat. And remember, an older egg can still be used in baking instead of as a meal.

Best Before Dates, Packaged On Dates and Expiration Dates are very different. The majority of our food has a Best Before Date which can be thought of as "best quality before date". Please refer to what does “best before” mean? For detailed explanation.

Feel free to contact us if you have concerns or questions about the quality of your food hamper.

Once the form is complete it is sent in for processing. You will receive an email copy with all the information you provided – this initial email does not mean that your food hamper is confirmed.

A second email will be sent to you with the name of the depot, date and time to pick-up your food hamper.

You must promptly reply to this email to confirm that you can pick-up your food hamper on the day, time and location (depot) provided. Once this email is received, your order will be filled. If you do not respond to the “confirmation” email – no food hamper will be built.

Edmonton’s Food Bank will ensure that you receive a food hamper within five business days of your contact with us.

Yes, due to COVID-19, please call 780.425.2133 ext. 228 to book an appointment as we are practicing physical distancing in the Learning Lab.

You will be able to book a morning or afternoon appointment (i.e. 9:00 am to 12 noon OR 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm). You will be able to drop-in during your appointment timeframe, however, please note that you will need to leave the lab for cleaning at 12 noon and 4:00 pm.

YES!

Please come to the Edmonton Food Bank ANNEX located at 11434-120 Street, Edmonton, AB. The facility is two doors down from the main Food Bank.

Beyond Food operates Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We are able to assist you remotely during business hours.

Some services are only offered at certain times and on certain days, please check the schedule of events if there is a particular service you are interested in using.

We are open to everyone. For employment services, you must be over the age of 18 and eligible to work in Canada (i.e. Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or work permit holder).

Please bring your resume and Government-issued identification. If you are not Canadian Citizen please bring your P.R. Card or your Work Permit.

Please come in to see us - tickets are tailored towards your work goals.

IQAS: International Qualification Assessment Service

WES: World Education Services

We are unable to help with these services. Check the following links for more information:

https://www.alberta.ca/iqas-contact.aspx

www.wes.org/ca

We are not an employer nor do we offer jobs. We will show you how to look for a job and help you develop personal tools to keep it.

Yes! You may fill the application in the following link to become a volunteer with Edmonton's Food Bank:

https://www.edmontonsfoodbank.com/volunteer

No, this is outside the scope of our work.