Ryan Nugent-Hopkins teams up with Amazon workers to score food bank donations

It's the busiest time of year at the million-square-foot Amazon warehouse in Nisku, Alta., but a visit from Edmonton Oilers left-winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins brings the entire building to a standstill. 

Star-struck warehouse workers watched as the hockey player picked and packed orders, signed autographs and helped hand over a $5,000 cheque to both Food Banks Alberta, a provincial association, and the Leduc and District Food Bank. 

"The food bank obviously puts in so much work, does so much good for the community," said Nugent-Hopkins. "We're lucky to have them."

For decades, members of the Oilers have assisted with good causes. Amazon's relationship with the local food bank goes back a couple of years to when they opened the YEG1 fulfilment centre not far from the food bank.

General manager Doug Spirig said they help with "in-kind donations from the facility, plus we've been able to donate cash and give of our time as well."

How one food bank rallied Amazon and an NHL star to help

10 days ago

Duration 2:03

Edmonton Oilers star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put in a shift at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Nisku, Alta., to draw attention to the work being done at the Leduc and District Food Bank. CBC is bringing you stories about food and affordability as part of our Make the Season Kind campaign.

Employees volunteered more than 1,000 hours of their time along with corporate donations of about 4,500 kilograms of surplus from the warehouse, said Spirig. 

"They're able to give us a list of items that are in need, something like diapers, food items, toiletries, anything that they can use to support the community."

Those items are put to use at the Leduc food bank warehouse at 6051 47th St. in Leduc.

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The food bank serves a population of 100,000 people across seven municipalities in central Alberta. 

Tony Robinson, treasurer of the Leduc and District Food Bank, said the need has doubled in the past few years at the same time donations from the public have been down.

LISTEN | Thinking outside the hamper box:

Radio Active6:06How the Leduc food bank is addressing growing need

Demand is up at food banks across Alberta — and staff and volunteers in Leduc, south of Edmonton, are thinking outside the hamper box to supply it. CBC's Adrienne Lamb stopped by their warehouse to check out their operation and meet the woman in charge.

"Whether it's Amazon or Costco or Safeway, the reality is for this food bank now the largest chunk of donations that are physical goods comes from corporate partnerships," said Robinson. 

He credits the food bank's executive director, Gert Reynar, with carefully cultivating these relationships.

"She's just a pit bull when it comes to doing all this stuff," said Robinson. "She's out there digging all the time."

"I never say no," said Reynar. "You build the relationship. I've had them come here from Amazon, they've toured, they see the programs we're doing."

Reynar has been with the food bank for 20 years, but said the need has never been higher.

"I have never seen the demand like this. I've been through some recessions, some pretty bad ones, nothing like this." 

Come together this holiday season to spread kindness and help our neighbours in need with CBC's Make The Season Kind annual holiday drive. Visit cbc.ca/kind/yeg.