Recycled City a Hit!

Check out this YouTube video presented by Meghan Derkach, Executive Director at Cherryville Community Food and Resource Society.

(1318) A Rural Approach to the Compassionate Community Model – YouTube

Bio: My name is Meghan Derkach, and I was born and raised in a rural community called Cherryville. I have always been an advocate for social justice and equity since a young age. When I was 18, I was having lunch with a group of older adults who were sharing their frustrations about having to leave the Cherryville community because there weren’t enough resources for them to live independently and I remember feeling absolutely broken hearted about it. That was the moment I realized I wanted to support Cherryville aging and pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a Concentration in Aging. I was drawn to the aging-in-place model, community development and looked to age-friendly community literature. However, being rural has its unique challenges and many of the “making an age friendly community” infrastructure wasn’t relatable. Working with older adults I soon came to realize you cannot support aging-in-place without addressing access to health care as they are overlapping systems. I then pursued a Health-Focused Master’s in Social Work through University of Waterloo to better understand the complexity behind health care and how to better support rural aging in place.  During this time, I was volunteering at Cherryville Food Bank and started expanding its reach to include resources and services to all residents. In 2021 I assumed the Executive Director position after strengthening our organizational and financial health and obtaining multiple grants. 2021 we officially changed our name to include resources as we expanded our vision and mission to meet the needs of all rural residents. Fast forward to 2024, we have implemented a range of services and resources to support rural living for youth, low-income families, persons living with disabilities, older adults, and a variety of community engagement events. In early January, we started to focus on Cherryville residents who had complex health conditions and or living with life limiting illness to advocate for better access to health care within community. These conversations led us to BC Centre for Palliative Care Seed Grant as the Compassionate Community model aligned perfectly with our growing vision and mission. I am excited to share a little more about this grant and how it has unfolded in the Cherryville community.

We are beyond excited at Cherryville Community Food & Resource Society to be part of the North Okanagan Rural Response Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada via Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund.

Working in partnership with Canadian Mental Health Association, Whitevalley Community Resource Centre, and local Indigenous partners, our goal is to deliver trauma-informed outreach services to Cherryville residents of all ages, absolving barriers to access and reducing stigma. Programming will primarily focus on mental health engagement, supports and prevention, harm reduction education, and peer support. Any Cherryville resident interested in learning more can reach out to our office Monday-Thursday, 8:00-3:00 @ 250-547-0089.

If you would benefit from one-to-one support to navigate mental health and/or substance use, we have recently onboarded a Social Worker dedicated to supporting folks and their families throughout their journey. You can call or text Angel at 250-550-8409, book an in-person or virtual appointment today, or email angel.zeolkowski@ccfrs.ca to get connected.

See below for the Village of Lumby’s Press Release on May 12, 2026 for more details of this fund.

Cherryville Community Food and Resource Society has an INCREDIBLE team of volunteers who support our vision and mission for increasing access to programs and services within the Cherryville area. Our 2024 focus is to strengthen our current volunteer base and actively recruit for new members. Some exciting things we do with our volunteers include regular “coffee breaks”, socializing events, and appreciation gestures. Without our volunteer team, the work we do in Cherryville would not be possible and we want to take a moment to highlight the incredible people part of our organization. Below are photos from our BBQ Social where volunteers were invited to bring their families and enjoy burgers, ice cream, and games.

Unfortunately not all of our volunteers were able to make it to this event and the above photos only showcase a fraction of those who donate their time to CCFRS. Thank you Thank you Thank you to all those incredible individuals who support what we do at Cherryville Food and Resource Society.