By Tawnya Plain Eagle

Piikani Nation opened their doors to a new food bank service earlier this month. 

According to Joseph Yellow Horn, Piikani Parks and Recreation coordinator, the demand for a food bank service was evident when surrounding municipalities began taking nation members off their food bank lists. 

“Piikani Nation had made a request for these food banks to stop using our numbers for their funding, in response our nations were removed from their lists,” Yellow Horn said. 

Although Yellow Horn viewed that as an opportunity for the nation to have its own food bank.

The foodbank is located at the community hall in Piikani, where Yellow Horn said it provides easier access for people who need to use this resource. 

“There are some working-class families on the nation that are struggling to make ends meet also, so with that we figured the demand for a food bank is high,” Yellow Horn said. 

Since the food bank opened its doors to the public earlier this month, Jody Little Wolf, Food Bank Coordinator, has been in partnership with Aakom-Kiyii Health Services in providing hampers to the households who are in isolation due to COVID-19. 

This fits directly with her goal to engage as many local departments in this important initiative. 

She said there are no plans to halt the growth of the food bank because there are many people who don’t have transportation that could benefit from this program. 

The food bank will operate under flex hours based on the communities' need to access the services.