The North Okanagan Valley Gleaners Society is getting ready to ship another load of food aid to help Ukraine next week.
The non-profit, which turns donated vegetables into dehydrated soup mix at a Lavington, B.C. processing plant, has been sending food and medical aid to Ukraine for years.
“The Gleaners response has been what it always has been and that’s been to feed hungry people. Two days before the war started we had already shipped a container out to Ukraine. That’s currently been rerouted. It will be going to Hamburg, Germany and then it will be trucked to Warsaw, Poland,” said plant manager Russell Phillips.
“That will be used to help the refugees coming out of Ukraine there.”
Along with food aid, the Gleaners have plans to send clothing and blankets.
Phillips said the group has received an outpouring of support as it works to continue helping Ukraine.
“We’ve received outstanding support for Ukraine. We’ve had an increase in volunteer numbers,” said Phillips.
“It will probably be around three million servings, overall, that will be going to Ukraine from here. So our local boxing company that supplies our boxes decided to donate their boxing. The trucking company found out and trucked the boxes up for free.”
The Gleaners partner with organizations working all over the world. This year they’ve already sent food aid to Jamaica, Cuba and Ukraine.
Shipments of medical aid are currently planned to Congo and Cameroon.