Northern Lights recipient – Carol Picard

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Location: Canmore, Alberta

Many community programs and volunteers have had to adapt to the new social distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carol Picard has long been an active volunteer in Canmore. She is part of a team that hosts Food and Friends, a weekly free meal operated out of a church in town.

Unfortunately, due to the public health orders that prohibit gatherings, a weekly sit-down meal is no longer feasible. While, at first, they changed the program to offer takeout meals, this was not sustainable as many of the group’s volunteers are seniors and considered high-risk.

Fortunately, The Iron Goat, a local restaurant, stepped up to help the program continue. They donated 400 meals that volunteers then delivered to families and people in need. At a time when the Bow Valley is seeing mass layoffs, Carol and the Food and Friends team are making sure that everyone can enjoy a quality meal even while they can’t gather together.