The eighth annual Global Okanagan Foodbank Fundraising campaign raised a record amount for local foodbanks.
The Your Okanagan Calendar campaign began Nov. 1 and concluded Dec. 31 with 100 per cent of all funds raised going to the food bank of donators’ choice.
Thanks to our viewers, Global Okanagan has donated a record amount to food banks in our valley: over $146,000.
That money will help support foodbanks as they navigate a rise in demand, price hikes in grocery costs and supply chain issues. At the Peachland Foodbank, they continue to help a growing client list.
“Numbers have gone up steadily since the beginning of the pandemic and so now we’re servicing at least 50 families a week. We’re open once a week so that we can try to meet the needs better,” said Peachland Foodbank manager Judy Bedford.
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The Peachland Food Bank isn’t alone in striving to meet growing demands.
Foodbanks Canada conducts a Hunger Count each year to document foodbank use in the country. It shows that one in seven Canadians accessing foodbanks are currently employed, and 33.1 per cent of foodbank users are children.
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“In 2022, we did see a province-wide increase of 24.6 per cent as far as foodbank usage,” said Nick Johnson, member services manager at Foodbanks BC.
Our viewers heard that message and helped us raise more money than ever before for our foodbanks.
“This year was an exceptional year in the sense that with supply chain issues and costs going up, you are only able to print 2,000 calendars, which was a first for us. We’ve never had that small of a run and they went fast, they went faster than we thought they would go and we have to be thankful for the people that still donated even knowing that they weren’t going to get a calendar,” said Sobon.
Thank you for helping us help our local foodbanks as they work to support people who need a little extra help in 2023.
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