The Food Bank on the Edge society is anticipating a swell in clientele in the coming weeks as social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has obliterated the West Coast’s tourism economy.
“We’re missing out on a lot of tourism money right now; a lot. Ukee is going to take a big hit,” the society’s executive director Cris Martin told the Westerly News.
She said the food bank is ready to welcome new clients with, figuratively, open arms and she encourages anyone who may need a hand to reach out to the society at 250-726-6909.
“Even though we can’t welcome people with an actual hug, we still want to welcome people who may or may not have ever thought of ever going to a food bank, who are recently laid off, especially if they have children,” she said. “If there’s families out there that are struggling and need some help, that’s why we’re here. We want people to take advantage of every opportunity they can to feel secure and to feed their families. We’ll all get through this together.”
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She said the society recently applied to a new $3 million Community Gaming Grant program launched by the provincial government to assist food banks across B.C. and added that local residents have opened their hearts and wallets to keep a steady stream of donations flowing in.
“Even though we’re just coming off Christmastime, which is a big giving time, here we go again. When there’s a need people pull out their chequebooks and we’ve been getting donations every week. So, that is very gratifying and helpful for sure,” she said. “People have really stepped up…It’s very meaningful to us.”
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She asks anyone wanting to sign up for a food hamper not to call on Tuesdays as that is the society’s distribution day and there aren’t enough hands on deck to handle calls, though she assured registration can be done every other day of the week.
She said prior to the pandemic, she usually had 8-10 volunteers buzzing around the food bank each Tuesday, but she’s asked roughly half her usual volunteers to stay home to ensure proper social distancing.
“Every week we’ve had to sort of adapt to a new reality,” she said. “We’re down to a skeleton crew at the food bank because we’ve made it a safer place for our volunteers.”
She added that clients are no longer allowed inside the food bank and now line up outside, roughly two metres apart, to collect their hamper from a takeout-style window.
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She said deliveries are also available to anyone isolating at home and she’s been delighted to see residents eager to volunteer their time to deliver hampers throughout Ucluelet. The food bank has also established a delivery system to Hitacu.
“I always feel so blessed,” she said. “Our food bank feels very cared for here. People want to help us help people.”
She reiterated that anyone in need is encouraged to reach out.
“Do not hesitate at all,” she said. “I know it’s not easy to reach out for help, especially if you’ve never been in a situation where you’ve had to do that. It can be a big canyon to leap across to get to the point to say, ‘I actually need to go to the food bank.’ But, we’re not a scary place, we’re all happy people and it truly is a work of love for us. We really do enjoy giving the food out; it makes our day.”
Anyone interested in making a donation to the society can do so by mailing a cheque to PO Box 1146, making a deposit to the society’s Coastal Community Credit Union account or Ucluelet Co-op account, or dropping a donation off at the food bank, located next to Seaplane Base Rec. Hall, on Tuesdays.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
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