The Campbell River Food Bank continues to operate amid a constantly changing health crisis.
With its COVID-19 protocol in place, the food bank was open for its final Wednesday distribution of the month last week and continued to offer smaller handouts Friday.
The one big difference to its normal operations is that the food bank building is closed, meaning clients are picking up their hampers at the door. Those waiting in line are asked to keep two metres distance between the next person and only one person per family is allowed in the line.
Last week, food bank manager Debbie Willis said it may seem like draconian measures, but they’re trying to stay open as long as they can.
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“We’re trying to ensure their safety,” she said. “We really don’t want to close.”
The food bank remains open for its normal schedule: Mondays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for smaller handouts like produce, dairy and bread; and the first three Wednesdays of the month from noon to 3 p.m. for distribution.
The food bank serves about 2,000 clients each month.
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While Willis has been placing orders with grocery stores, they’ve been unable to guarantee availability.
She estimates that even without additional supplies, they can remain open until the end of May.
However, any donations are welcome. They could especially use: peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, rice, pasta, pasta sauce/canned tomatoes, tuna, soup, cookies and crackers. Any dried or canned goods are also welcome.
Financial donations can be made via cheque and mailed, or dropped off at the food bank. They are located at 1393 Marwalk Crescent. They are generally open for donations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday. Their website is set up for online donations.
Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing. The Campbell River Mirror recommends visiting our website ( https://www.campbellrivermirror.com/tag/coronavirus/ ) for the most up-to-date information. Other reliable resources are Provincial ( http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/ ), Federal ( https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html )and Local ( http://campbellriver.ca/ )governments, and local health authorities ( https://www.islandhealth.ca/health-alerts ). Due to the rapidly changing nature of the information, be sure to always check the date and time of your news, and ensure information you’re sharing is up-to-date and accurate to prevent the spread of misinformation.
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