Fifty-one volunteers and 4,564 homes later, this year’s B.C. Thanksgiving Food Drive in Squamish collected more goods than the weight of eight male polar bears.
Saturday, Sept. 20, marked the annual provincial campaign that aims to stock food bank’s shelves with non-perishable food. Overall in excess of 195,000 kg (430,000 lbs) worth of items were gathered throughout B.C. Squamish kicked in 3,718 kg (8,200 lbs).
“We visited approximately 250,000 addresses in 49 cities and towns,” organizers stated in a press release.
This was the fourth year Squamish participated in the province-wide initiative. The event is driven by a partnership between the Squamish Food Bank, the Squamish Multifaith Association and the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The “many wonderful volunteers” made this year’s drive a triumph, the Squamish organizing committee stated.
“The people of Squamish will once again be making a difference in peoples lives here in our community,” food bank coordinator Christina Rupp said.
This year’s drive raised 453 kg (1,000 lbs) more food than in 2013. Members of the Sikh Temple, whom hosted this year’s drive, contributed more than 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of food to the event.
“This year was a great success,” Rupp said.
The drive is important to the Squamish food Bank’s supply, she noted. The volunteer-driven food bank does not receive government funding. Volunteers within the organization dedicate approximately 200 hours per month to pick up, sort and distribute food. The hours spike when the organization takes on tasks such as the B.C. Thanksgiving Food Drive.
Approximately 30 per cent of the food bank’s clients are children under the age of 18. The Squamish Food Bank has seen an increase in the number of seniors using the food bank in the past year, officials reported. Families on low incomes who cannot always meet their nutritional needs as well as paying the bills also turn to the food bank, they noted.
For more information about the Squamish Food Bank visit www.squamishfoodbank.com.
