Expanding into Community ResourcesExpanding into Community Resources

The Cherryville Community Food Bank has worked tirelessly to grow and expand as an organization to further our reach into the community and provide a variety of community resources. We now have an ongoing senior services program staffed by Angelia Harvey who connects with senior residents on a regular basis. To date, Angelia has made 363 phone call check-ins, 98 virtual visits, 40 grocery shopping and delivery (includes going to Franks/Emporium to get items for seniors in need), 30 transportation services and a handful of prescription drop-offs. In addition, Angelia delivers pre-made meals to seniors for those who do not drive or are unable to make it for pick-up. To date, we have made and sold 755 senior meals! This service has been a huge success and we could not do it without the support of volunteers, staff, and the community hall.

Also, you may have noticed that we are increasing services to Cherryville including the Heart Health Clinic, Hearing Checks, and Foot Care. These services have been made possible through the coordination between Lumby & District Health Services, White Valley Community Resources, and Cherryville Community Food Bank and we must give a massive shout out to Lynne Frerichs who is a major driving force behind these services being present in our community, making them as accessible as possible. Additionally, we have started providing supports around applying for benefits like the BC Recovery Benefit and will continue to offer these supports as needed.

Furthermore, we have been committed to creating short-term work opportunities for our youth and community residents as we secure various grants. In the summer, we employ one to two students to maintain our Community Garden and carry out tasks as a food bank helper. We provide WHMIS and Food Safe for those who are employed and work hard to ensure participants receive a well-rounded work experience. Most recently, we will be employing a community resident to prepare and cook the senior meals for 2021. We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to provide this work opportunity for a Cherryville resident.

We have an incredible team of people behind the Cherryville Community Food Bank and we are excited to continuously expand and provide support as needed. If you are interested in volunteering or employment opportunities, feel free to contact us by phone or email any time. We will be posting employment opportunities as they rise throughout the community.

Lastly, our organization relies on the generous donors who support our vision and mission for meeting the needs within our community. Any amount of donation is greatly appreciated, from the bottoms of our hearts, thank you for your contribution and support.

A Year In ReviewA Year In Review

2020…what a year! With the many challenges, worries, and hardships that transpired from this unprecedented time due to the global pandemic, so has opportunity for change, for growth, and support. In the face of so much uncertainty and adversity, our Cherryville community came together and supported one another in a powerful and meaningful way.

A Year in Review

Food Bank Hampers – with the stress of covid-19, there was an increase in families and individuals accessing monthly food hampers. We worked hard to ensure any Cherryville residents could access a monthly hamper throughout this difficult time. With ample donations, both food and cash, we were able to provide hampers to anyone that requested. Thank you to all of our donors and workers during this time but most importantly, thank you to those who felt comfortable to reach out and ask for help! We welcome anyone to contact us during times of hardship and please know we prioritize discretion, maintain confidentiality and adhere to a zero-tolerance policy for gossip.

Thursday Drop-In – open to all community members, regardless of need. Local residents can access food we have in excess (typically seasonal fruits and vegetables) that we need to disperse as soon as possible to avoid waste, so please come!

Organic Community Garden – we hire a local summer student to work at our community garden which yields fresh organic produce that support our community in a variety of ways. This is an incredible opportunity for our local youth to obtain employment, develop skills and abilities, work on a team of dedicated and caring staff and volunteers, and give back to their community. Summer youth are provided with WHMIS training, Food Safety Certification, and supported throughout their employment at the Cherryville Food Bank.

Rural Communities Delivery Program – we provide excess food to Nakusp Food Bank who supports the smaller rural communities between Cherryville and Nakusp. With our refrigerated truck, we can safely transport perishable and non-perishable food to also support our mission of increasing food security while reducing waste.

Seniors Outreach Services – In May 2020 we launched an outreach program to reach out to our senior residents who like all of us, were feeling the effects of social distancing, isolation, and loneliness. With the risks and uncertainty of a potentially deadly virus, many of the older adults were living in fear and craving social interaction. Starting off with check-in calls, socially distanced visits, and some delivery services, we reached out to as many senior residents possible. We have made 256 phone check-ins, 70 socially distanced visits, and over 30 deliveries so far! This has been an incredibly positive experience and will continue to shape our service delivery in the new year.

Pre-Made Meal Program for Seniors – as an extension to the seniors outreach services, we launched a pre-made meals program for seniors which has been a smashing success. To date, we have prepared and sold 442 meals! We look forward to resuming this meal program in the new year with the support of our incredible team of staff and volunteers. We cannot thank them enough!

As 2021 approaches, we are focused on furthering our reach to Cherryville residents and surrounding area with the intention of growing our building into a hub for community resources to connect residents with the supports they require. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the power of community to support and rely on one another through hard times. Cherryville is an incredibly generous, giving, and resilient community and we look forward to giving back to our residents in any way possible throughout 2021.  

Seniors Meal Program – A Great Success!!Seniors Meal Program – A Great Success!!

October 17th, 2020 marked the pick-up day of our FIRST pre-made meals for seniors, and it rolled out absolutely wonderfully! Turkey Dinner was the meal available which came with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, stuffing, a bun, and dessert. All individually prepared meals are $5.00 and we successfully packaged and sold 135! This day would NOT have been possible without an incredible, hardworking, and compassionate crew of people and I would like to personally thank the following:

Our Volunteer Cooks, Meal Preppers, and Packagers: Diana Verhage, Corrie Verhage, Manda Harrop, Karen St. Pierre, & Bev Melvin.

         

A special thank you to Greg Cretin, a professional meat carver who graciously volunteered his time to carve all 6 turkeys!

We thank Lynne Frerrichs and Angelia Harvey who coordinated meal orders, made calls, and supported the set up and launch of this meal program.

Also, a special thank you to Angelia Harvey who delivered meals to those who were unable to drive or wasn’t able to make it for pick-up.

Lastly, a very special thank you to Sharon Harvey and the Cherryville Community Food Bank Society who spent months planning and working together to see this vision come to fruition. With the positive feedback we have already received from seniors, families, and community members, this is clearly a need for our community and we are beyond excited to be able to offer this service. Most of the food was donated by the Cherryville Community Food Bank, some was donated by Dolman’s and without everyone who showed up to support us, this would not have been possible.

From the bottom of our hearts….Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

As a reminder, if you would like to specifically donate to this service, all funds go back into the meal program itself. Simply click the Donate Now page and make a special note at the bottom as to where you would like your donations to go (for example: $20 to purchase 4 meals for seniors; $50.00 towards food costs, etc.) and we will ensure your donation request is honored.

Meal Program for SeniorsMeal Program for Seniors

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new meal program for seniors! Any senior residing in Cherryville area who is 65 or older can purchase a pre-made meal for $5.00. Fresh meals can be picked up the same day as they are made, otherwise all meals are frozen and can be picked up at a later date. All proceeds go back into the program to further support our local seniors.

October 17th, 2020 is the First Meal Day!

Turkey Dinner – comes with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots, bun and a dessert. Call Lynne Frerichs at 250-547-6540 to place your order!

Are you interested in sponsoring a senior to receive meals? Use the donate option to purchase meals for a senior, just make a note in the comments section and we will use your donation to provide meals to seniors in need. A $50.00 donation is the equivalent of buying 10 meals!

We have so much to be thankful for this year and we cannot wait to give back to our community through this exciting new program for seniors.

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.

Community Garden 2020Community Garden 2020

Lennon Adkins was hired in the summer of 2020 to help with the development, maintenance, and harvest of this years Community Garden. He has been hard at work alongside Peter and Renske, who have graciously dedicated a piece of their land for the establishment of this garden. Our Community Garden continues to be an incredible resource, providing fresh, organic produce that goes straight to our residents. There has already been roughly 500 lbs of  food harvested and distributed to local residents and we are only half way through the season. Not only has the Community Garden contributed to our mission for increasing food security but also provides educational and employment opportunities to our local youth.  Peter and Renske could not be better mentors and Lennon has proven to be an incredible young man, a very hard worker, and a wonderful student to work with.

This summer student position is funded by Service Canada through the Canada Summer Jobs program.

Huge Thank You to Food Banks BC, BC Dairy Farmers, NORD, Kamloops Okanagan Dairy Association, and Safe Seniors Strong CommunitiesHuge Thank You to Food Banks BC, BC Dairy Farmers, NORD, Kamloops Okanagan Dairy Association, and Safe Seniors Strong Communities

We are absolutely speechless by the continual support we are receiving from organizations both locally and provincially. We would like to formally thank you Food Banks BC, Dairy Farmers of BC, North Okanagan Regional District, Kamloops Okanagan Dairy Association, and the Safe Seniors Strong Communities through United Way of the Lower Mainland. You are a major reason why we have been able to continually support our community despite the hardships and obstacles prevalent from this global pandemic.

We cannot express enough the deep gratitude we feel. During these uncertain times, it is the love and support and generosity of others that help communities thrive and we have been fortunate and honored to receive an abundance of support from our local and provincial organizations.

The Cherryville Community Food Bank thanks all of you, from the very bottom of our hearts, as we are able to expand our reach within our community and surrounding areas to those who are at risk and to those who need this support more than ever. Thank you.

 

Donating to the Cherryville Community Food BankDonating to the Cherryville Community Food Bank

 

Are you interested in donating to Cherryville Community Food Bank but arn’t sure what your donation goes towards? See below for the impact you are making on the Cherryville community with every dollar you donate to our food bank:

$10.00 –  provides 25 kids at Cherryville Elementary with a milk for the School Milk Program

$50.00 – provides 20 lbs worth of food that is distributed among food bank recipients

$100 – provides sponsorship of one Angel (one child) during our Christmas Hamper and Gifts event

$500 – the cost of 2.5 trips of fully stocked refrigeration truck to surrounding rural community food banks

$1000 – allows for 57 hours of work used towards the operations of the food bank and providing services to the community

With your support, we are able to make a huge impact on our community and surrounding areas. There are many different ways that you can support Cherryville Community Food Bank in addition to making monetary donations. We accept food donations that are then distributed among hampers, we are always looking for new volunteers who want to make a difference in the community, and we appreciate personal fundraising efforts. A personal fundraising effort may include making an honorable mention to our food bank so others are aware of our organization and the services we provide or could include making a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser where funds go to the Cherryville Food Bank as one of our seasonal volunteers, Bea Bauer, recently did.

We are beyond grateful for those who have supported us and continue to support us especially during these difficult times as COVID-19 has led many families into extreme financial hardship. Our doors remain open to support our families in crisis, and it is because of you that we can do this.

Thank you for your commitment to the Cherryville Community Food Bank, we appreciate your support.

ATTENTIONATTENTION

A message from the President of Cherryville Community Food Bank Society:

Well I am sad to say our little food bank is affected by Corona. We must stop our Thursday operations until further notice. If you need food please contact Barb and we will arrange pick up. 250-260-0562 or myself at 250-547-6646.

We are accepting donations and are following strict standards to keep our at risk population protected as best we can. Please wash your hands often. Stay away from crowds and if you feel sick-even a little-stay at home.

We will provide updates as they arise.

Please pass this message on to all residents in the Cherryville area so they are aware. Those that don’t or can’t use Facebook are at risk so tell your neighbors.

Thank you Cherryville for all the support,

Sharon Harvey