Dauphin’s Safeway store has been a boon for the Dauphin and District Food Bank since joining the Second Harvest Food Rescue program in November.

On Friday, the local store presented a cheque for $7,200 to the food bank.

Safeway store manager Dale Gawryluik said a lot of the store’s fund-raising goes to the Second Harvest program, which they began participating in last November.

“Currently, we have 21,247 meals donated. So for every $2 that is donated, it feeds one person, which is great. And we’ll continue to do this program,” he said.

Gawryluik said giving back to the community is important.

“Personally, myself, I like to give back to the community, which we’ve done today. And we’ll continue to support the food bank, as well as the friendship centre.”

Some of the food collected through Second Harvest is shared with Parkview Lodge and Happy Haven, as well as the Dauphin Friendship Centre’s Food for Thought program.

“So we’re not just supporting the food bank. We’re supporting anybody that is in need of food today. Especially with the rising cost of merchandise today, it goes a long way for these individuals to be supported,” Gawryluik said. “And we’ll continue to support right until the program is done. But I can’t see the program ever being done. We’re happy to help the community as much as we can.”

The Christmas holidays is always a busy time of year for the food bank, but thanks to the generosity of area residents, the food bank has been able to answer the demand of those in need.

“Dauphin is a very, very giving city and we have no trouble getting donations in whether it be food or monetary. They’ve been helping us for years, keeping our shelves stocked,” said the food bank’s Robin Gambler, adding Safeway has been a big help, as well.

Tom Monson said local residents always answer the call, especially around Christmas.

“They seem to want to give money. And it really goes to a good cause. It goes to help us and all of the other people in the community. And it’s just not Dauphin. We get some of the surrounding area, too, that are struggling,” he said.

Now that the holidays are over, Gambler said the shelves are still stocked in some areas and they have started purchasing needed items.

“To make sure we have all the food groups in our hampers that we give out,” she said.

Monson visits the local Safeway store every day to pick up food through the Second Harvest program. On Friday, he picked up 88 pounds of meat, 140 pounds of produce, 30 pounds of prepared food, 15 pounds of bread and about 18 pounds of baked goods.

“That was this morning only. And this goes on seven days a week in this store. It’s a real benefit to us,” he said.