Christmas Hampers Event


The Cherryville community may be small in numbers, but it is BIG in giving!

Every year we have tons of supporters who make this day possible, starting at 6:00 in the morning and ending around 10:00 at night, families and individuals are given Christmas Hampers and Gifts. What initially started as a very small community service in 1971, this was the foundation that the Cherryville Community Food Bank Society started on…49 years ago, wow! It has flourished into a beautiful community building event where we support one another and ensure our people are taken care of during the holiday season.

Thank you to all the volunteers that support us each and every year, to donors who give so generously, and every person, group, and organization who make this service a possibility.

Behind the scenes in Food Bank Building, getting organized!

Volunteers from all ages, kids to seniors, giving back to our community together!

Related Post

Organic Community GardenOrganic Community Garden

Our Organic Community Garden, established in 2017 and continually supported through the +Fresh Gardens & Growing Fund!

The garden is situated on a private piece of property in Cherryville, BC where the owner’s plant, oversee and manage the garden. In 2018 a second area was initiated to double the size of the garden which yielded 1545 lbs of organic produce! We were able to offer fresh, organic produce every week for the entire growing season. More than 20 families, 65 people, were influenced by the organic garden in 2018. Planters with pre-planted lettuce, strawberries and herbs were also provided to recipients of the Cherryville Food Bank. This allowed households to grow a portion of their own food, it was highly successful with lots of positive feedback from those who received them.

In 2019, our garden produced 1963 lbs of organic produce which again went right back into the hands of our community members! Cannot wait to see what happens in 2020!

Rural Community Deliveries – NakuspRural Community Deliveries – Nakusp

In 2016 we teamed up with Lake Country Food Bank and established the “Network of Sharing” in which we have connected nine different food banks that we can distribute food to when we receive large quantities of food. This reduces food waste entering our landfills, a national issue that has major environmental effects, as well as puts more food directly into the hands of community members, programs, activities, and events. Inspired by this partnership, we reached out to collaborate with Nakusp Food Bank who supports five rural communities between us. With safe transport of perishable items being the largest obstacle, we successfully sought and secured funding through Food Banks BC to purchase a refrigerated truck. We are now delivering fresh vegetables, fruits, breads, dairy products, and any other food/household goods we receive in excess that they are willing and able to accept. Extending this network of sharing concept into the Kootenay region has proven to be a positive impact for all communities involved as well as reducing the environmental impact of excessive waste entering our landfills. Our commitment to this social cause has resulted in this expansion of our food bank services, directly contributing to our mission of promoting healthy living and food security while reducing waste.

This program is funded by Interior Health through the Community Food Action Initiative grant.

THANK YOU FOOD BANKS CANADATHANK YOU FOOD BANKS CANADA

Thank you to Food Banks Canada for supporting Cherryville Community Food & Resource Society with a very generous grant, with
funding through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Emergency Food Security Fund. The food security services we provide would not be possible without your incredible support.

Photos are of our 2021 Christmas Hamper & Gifts for Children Event. Thanks to Food Banks Canada, we were able to purchase food to fill 70 hampers! This is an increase compared to previous years and a testament to how COVID-19 continues to impact our community. Thank you again for your ongoing support!

The students from Cherryville Elementary School who helped the Cherryville Community Food & Resource Society set up and prepare hampers for the Christmas Hamper & Gifts for Children event. Thank you all!