Red Deer launches 'Trick or Eat' food drive for Halloween night
Residents can adopt a city block and collect food donations alongside Halloween candy-giving to support the Red Deer Food Bank.
Why it matters
The initiative addresses rising food insecurity in Red Deer, where the food bank reports growing need among children and seniors.
Red Deer is holding its first 'Trick or Eat' initiative this Halloween, inviting residents to set up marked donation spots at their homes to collect non-perishable food items. Participants who adopt a block will deliver the collected donations directly to the Red Deer Food Bank, with support from the food bank and several local churches.
Organizer Bob McGaw said he was inspired after teenagers trick-or-treating at his home sincerely asked for tuna instead of candy when he joked about the idea. The exchange, along with his wife's observations as a schoolteacher about hungry children, led him to learn that roughly one in four Alberta families struggle to afford food. Volunteers have created downloadable signs and cards residents can use to let neighbours know where to drop off donations, and those interested can email trickoreatreddeer@gmail.com to take part.
Red Deer Food Bank executive director Mitch Thomson said demand has grown significantly in 2026, driven largely by increased need among children and seniors. He noted the food bank often receives condiments, snacks and pop, while protein-rich items like meat and dairy are in short supply, particularly at this time of year.
McGaw expects modest participation in the program's first year but hopes it will expand to other central Alberta communities such as Sylvan Lake and Lacombe. Thomson credited past Halloween food drive organizers with raising hundreds of pounds of donations and encouraged residents to contribute what they can.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.