Making a difference for those who struggle with food security in our communities has never been easier — the 17th annual BC Thanksgiving Food Drive will be coming right to your doorstep during the week of Sept. 16 through to the 21.
"It is good to be working with a dedicated group of volunteers who, over the last 17 years, arranged the food drive for the Cowichan region," said Cowichan Valley Basket Society manager Henry Wikkerink. "It is a great opportunity to help families with groceries coming up to Thanksgiving. Every month this year we have seen a increase in the hampers we have given out, and saw a 10 per cent increase in the demand for August alone."
More than 200 volunteers who are involved with the initiative will be giving their time to the community as they leave bags at numerous front doors for residents to assist in stocking local food banks with essential supplies. Bags will be labelled with instructions to fill them with non-perishable items such as canned goods, dried foods, and cereal, then to place them outside their door by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. Teams of volunteers will then return to collect the donations, which will then be distributed to local food banks, including the Cowichan Valley Basket Society (Duncan food bank), Mill Bay Food Bank, Lake Cowichan Food Bank, and Chemainus Harvest House Food Bank. For those who don't receive a bag on their doorstep, donations can be taken directly to your local food bank, or community members can assist by making a donation online at cvbs.ca/thanksgiving.
The rise in family expenses, especially food costs, has led to a higher demand for local food banks' services. According to Food Banks Canada, 33 per cent of food bank users are children, while 43.8 per cent are single individuals, more than eight per cent are seniors and one in six recipients are employed. Stats show that local food banks have experienced an increase of 80 to 100 per cent in visits over the last year alone.
"In the past year, there has been a 100 per cent increase in families seeking assistance from the Cowichan Valley Basket Society," said Wikkerink. "The food drive will aid in supplying food to families and seniors experiencing food insecurity. Our ability to support these families hinges on the backing of our community. Thanks to the contributions of food and cash, we have been able to assist everyone without having to turn anyone away.
Wikkerink said hundreds of individuals and families in the Cowichan Valley require assistance on a weekly basis, and that the more than 200 volunteers who give their time to the BC Thanksgiving Food Drive have been able to visit up to 6,000 homes and collect more than 14,960 pounds of non-perishable food for the food banks in years past. Last year alone the annual province-wide project collected more than 674,000 pounds of food for the more than 50 community food banks in local areas.
The drive currently requires additional volunteers to deliver or pick up bags of groceries. If you can spare some time to assist, please contact CVBS at 250-746-1566, and for any additional information visit foodbanksbc.com and bctfooddrive.org.
"As a community, let's acknowledge that some of our neighbours are experiencing food insecurity," said Wikkerink. "According to Foodbanks Canada and Statistics Canada, over 10 per cent of individuals are facing challenges with food availability. By each of us making a small contribution, we can collectively make a significant difference. My hope is that we all are aware that we can make a difference. "
