During the pandemic, several organizations in Lethbridge, Alta., realized the need for water during the summer was more crucial than ever before.

Now, five years later, a continuing effort to ensure everyone has the hydration they need remains in place every summer.

“We are expecting another hot and dry summer and with that comes the threat of a lot of people maybe having heat emergencies because they can’t get out of that sun,” said Danielle McIntyre, executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank.

She says the partnership is designed to get money from donation centres, like the Interfaith, to organizations with boots on the ground.

One of those organizations with outreach teams is Streets Alive Mission. It’s Chief Operation Officer, Cameron Kissick, says the collaborative approach is the key to making an even bigger difference.

“It’s really important that we have these water drives that can be more of a community based event rather than just a single agency.”

He says one bottle of water may not seem like a big deal, but to those in need, it is.

“I think you can see it, especially when it’s really, really hot and they’ve been out in the elements and they’re (out of it), you can see it. Just a little bit of something cool on their lips to help them keep moving forward.”

Both the Interfaith and Lethbridge Food Bank are accepting donations, with the City of Lethbridge pledging to match $3,000 worth of donations at these locations. However, another group has also joined the cause this year, offering $7,000 to keep people hydrated.

“We’re very lucky this year, the United Way stepped forward with a substantial contribution to help us get started and make sure we have adequate stock throughout the summer,” said McIntyre.

For the United Way of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta’s executive director, Jaci Zalesak, it was important to support the established program.

“The hot temperatures can be very extreme, so the United Way decided to step up and see what we could do to help and we thought we could help by supporting the water emergency crisis support.”

She says everyone who is able to donate, should.

“Water is essential and if you can support something like this, more and more people are out there needing hydration at any time.”

McIntyre says they expect to distribute at least 10,000 bottles of water before the end of August, meaning any donation is welcome.

In total, the organizations involved are the two food banks, Community Links, Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone (Downtown BRZ), Streets Alive, Sage Clan Patrol, Diversion Outreach Team, Canadian Mental Health Association, MyCityCare and Recovery Alberta.

The City of Lethbridge has also once again opened several free potable water fountains around town, meaning each donated bottle can be refilled as needed.

The City-Wide Water Drive officially kicked off Sunday and runs until Aug. 31.