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Every year when the giant inflatable turkey comes out at the Griffiths Ford dealership in Hinton, Alta., the town\u2019s residents know the holiday season has arrived.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sign to drop off turkeys or cash donations to support the Hinton Healthcare Foundation and the Hinton Food Bank.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a town like ours, if you don’t give back, your community doesn’t grow and it’s just too important,\u201d said Griffiths Ford owner Garth Griffiths, the foundation’s chair and the organizer of the fundraiser.<\/p>\n
Over the years, he estimates the event has raised $125,000 in cash and turkeys.<\/p>\n
In the past, the funds have gone towards medical equipment for the hospital. But Griffiths said this year there\u2019s a more pressing need: attracting and recruiting doctors to Hinton.<\/p>\n
This year’s turkey drive will raise funds to create incentive packages. These packages will offer accommodations, determined on a case-by-case basis, for new and visiting doctors.<\/p>\n
WATCH | How the Hinton turkey drive supports health care and food security:![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765214888_662_default.jpg\")
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Hinton\u2019s turkey drive addresses doctor shortage in addition to food security<\/p>\n
Hinton\u2019s annual turkey drive is back, this time raising money to help recruit doctors and fund accommodations for new and temporary physicians. It also sees turkeys go to the Hinton Food Bank, where demand has more than tripled in the last five years.A new challenge<\/p>\n
Dr. Andrea Rahn, a local family physician, says the doctor shortage is a relatively new challenge for the town of 10,000 people, which is located about 300 kilometres west of Edmonton.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765214889_182_default.jpg\")
Dr. Andrea Rahn is a longtime family physician at the Hinton Medical Clinic, where fundraising dollars will help support physician recruitment. (Adrienne Lamb\/CBC)<\/p>\n
\u201cTraditionally, Hinton has been a desired community to work in and we’ve never had trouble hiring in the past,\u201d she told CBC News. \u201cBut for a number of reasons, medicine has changed significantly and we are now struggling to keep all of our services staffed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fewer doctors means heavier workloads, which Rahn says is a difficult cycle to break, and makes it more challenging to recruit.<\/p>\n
It also yields worse patient outcomes, because resources tend to flow towards more acute care, while family medicine is sidelined.<\/p>\n
Rahn credits the Hinton Healthcare Foundation with stabilizing the clinic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sleep better at night with them involved because I don’t come to work every day scared that the place I work [at] is going to close,” she said.<\/p>\n
Rahn also sees a clear link between food security and health.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you’re always distracted by saying, \u2018Where is my next healthy meal going to come from,\u2019 it’s really hard to look after yourself and your family in meaningful ways,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Food bank need has tripled<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my goodness, everybody gets a turkey \u2014 that’s to start with,\u201d said Lisa Cumby, secretary for the Hinton Food Bank.<\/p>\n
The food bank\u2019s holiday hampers are then rounded out with cranberries, potatoes or \u201cwhatever would help make the individual’s holiday dinner just a little bit more special.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765214889_40_default.jpg\")
Lisa Cumby, secretary for the Hinton Food Bank, has been a dedicated volunteer for more than a decade. (Adrienne Lamb\/CBC)<\/p>\n
But support is needed year-round. Established in 1986, the Hinton Food Bank sees around 100 clients per week, supporting 200 people in the community.<\/p>\n
After a decade of volunteering, Cumby says she has watched the profile of clients change.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the biggest changes would be [that] many of the people we see on a weekly basis are employed. \u2026 There’s either been cutbacks in hours, or there have been layoffs,\u201d she said, adding that seniors and those living on fixed incomes have also become frequent users.<\/p>\n
In the last five years, Cumby estimates the need has tripled, if not quadrupled.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s not the same people that come through the organization’s doors every week. Cumby says people tend to rely on the food bank only when they really need it. For a lot of people, that\u2019s the holiday season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeating your home goes up, putting gas in your vehicle goes up, people get sick, medication could be going up, prescriptions for some people go up,” she said. “So it is important because it could be me tomorrow \u2014 it could be anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those who wish to donate can drop off a turkey or cash to the Griffiths Ford dealership at 553 Gregg Ave., up until Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n