Bob Steen, a member of the Charlottetown Ward< of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a volunteer at the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry (URHM) Food Bank in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, recently saw an opportunity to “give a lift” to his local food bank. When the URHM Food Bank relocated to a facility that offered a larger footprint and higher ceilings, Steen knew just what they needed.
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To improve use of the new warehouse space and increase capacity, Steen reached out to his local congregation to see if the Church could donate an industrial counterbalanced pallet stacker, or lift machine, to the URHM. The pallet stacker would allow commodities to be safely and efficiently moved and stored — vertically — in the warehouse.
Rand MacKay, president of the Saint John New Brunswick Stake, noted, “The addition of this pallet stacker will enable the URHM to more effectively use their new facilities. In the past, pallets were stored directly on the floor, which limited the available workspace. This new equipment will help optimize space and enhance the ministry’s capacity to receive, process, distribute and store donations.” MacKay added, “The Church is delighted to support the important mission and impactful work of the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry.”
URHM Executive Director Mike MacDonald reports that URHM Food Bank supports 5,500 individuals each month. This is a staggering number, considering the population of Prince Edward Island is less than 200,000.
URHM began as a soup kitchen in 1985, and in response to a growing need, a food bank was added two years later. Today, the organization continues to operate both the soup kitchen and the food bank. URHM is also home to the PEI Association of Food Banks, offering support and resources for eight food banks on the island. Food insecurity continues to be a significant concern on Prince Edward Island, with demand on island food banks increasing 110 per cent since 2019 and more than 50 per cent over the past two and a half years.
In 2008, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, encouraged us to work together to help others: “Although it may seem simple, lifting where we stand is a principle of power. … When we stand close together and lift where we stand … we can accomplish so much more” (“Lift Where You Stand,” October 2008 general conference).