Community groups collect water for those in need

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman LETHBRIDGE HERALD As temperatures rise, community organizations across Lethbridge are once again joining forces to ensure that everyone has access to safe drinking water. Executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank, Danielle McIntyre says for several years multiple community agencies have worked together to make sure that those who can’t get out The post Community groups collect water for those in need appeared first on The Lethbridge Herald - News and Sports from around Lethbridge .

By Lethbridge Herald on July 14, 2026. Alejandra Pulido-Guzman LETHBRIDGE HERALD As temperatures rise, community organizations across Lethbridge are once again joining forces to ensure that everyone has access to safe drinking water.

Executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank, Danielle McIntyre says for several years multiple community agencies have worked together to make sure that those who can’t get out of the heat, still have at least a chance to be hydrated. “We are once again reaching out to the community and encouraging them to donate bottled water to either of the big food banks or Streets Alive,” says McIntyre. “And our community distribution partners will come and pick up from us and get it into the hands of the people who need it the most.”

McIntyre shares that this year, they are fortunate to have available water at the new Streets Alive facility, but they still need bottled water for those who are unable to get out of the heat. “We are not expecting to have to recruit as much bottled water this year as we have in the past, but we still need the community to step forward and help us out to make sure that we’ve got the supply for the people who aren’t in areas that are closest to water fountains,” says McIntyre.

Financial donations are also welcomed and under some circumstances preferable, as food banks can stretch out those dollars when purchasing bottled water. “The nice thing about financial donations is that we can put them all together, and then we are able to do bulk purchasing, which brings our costs down,” says McIntyre. She shares that the City of Lethbridge have offered matching funds, but they are contingent on community donations.

“For us to be able to get the money that the city has pledged, we have to show that the donations have come in, which is why that community engagement piece is so valuable,” says McIntyre. “It can be either money or bottles, it just has to come up to $1,500 per food bank, as there’s $3,000 that the city is willing to contribute.” She explains that if community members provide both food banks bottles of water and financial contributions that amount to $3000 worth, the city is providing them with $3000 to be used for water.

“It would a total of $6,000 worth of water going out into the unhoused community,” says McIntyre. “We have also gone out and pre-purchased, we’ve leveraged our partnerships with food banks Alberta, and wherever we can get free water. But community donations are going to be what drives the supply that’s going to allow us to make sure there’s enough water going out this summer.”

She says in past years, bottled water collection started in June, but this year the rain kept the extreme heat away until now. “But now we’re in the thick of it, and now those patrols really need it. And now is the time that we really need the community to step up and help us out,” says McIntyre.

The annual Lethbridge Water Drive is running now until Aug. 31.