Waste not, want not.
After cancelled classes at Okanagan College resulted in a vast amount of unused ingredients for the culinary arts program, instructors gathered as much as they could and delivered it to the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank.
Instructors Kelsey Oudendag and Ross Derrick, who is also a chef at Kelowna restaurant Cod Fathers, loaded dairy products, vegetables and fruit onto pallets for transport.
“Once our department decided to donate the food, the process went so quickly,” said Oudendag. “All it took was one phone call to ensure they were accepting donations and within the hour we had dropped off two full pallets worth of fresh food including fruit, vegetables, eggs and milk. Without Ross generously donating the Cod Fathers’ delivery truck and his own time to drop off the food, we probably would have had to make multiple trips.
“Once we got to the food bank, there were plenty of volunteers working hard to help unload and process donations safely. The whole process took about 10 minutes. They are operating in an extremely organized and efficient manner, all thanks to wonderful volunteers.”
As restaurants, hotels, and casinos throughout the Okanagan Valley and province find themselves in the same situation, Okanagan College said many local businesses have seized the opportunity to do something with food that would otherwise spoil.
“During this time of struggle, I’ve seen many people in our hospitality industry band together to support each other, whether it be with time, funds or food,” added Oudendag. “I’m blown away at the adaptability and generosity in our community.”
The Central Okanagan Community Foodbank is still accepting donations from the public at their location at 2310 Enterprise Way.
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