A fresh fruit and vegetable stand will be in place each week during the summer months.
The Sharing Stand will be set up Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m., June 12 to Oct. 23.
It is designed to connect those who have an overabundance of fruit or vegetables with those who often have none.
“This is an innovative program designed to meet the growing need for food security for all members of our community,” said Linda Van Alphen, organizer of the Sharing Stand.
She said the stand’s hours coincide with the Summerland Food Bank’s food pickup hours, but the stand is not exclusively for food bank clients.
“It is for anyone within our community who might have a need for this produce or who may want to exchange one type of produce from their garden for another,” she said.
Produce dropped off and picked up this year will be weighed as a measurement of the success of the initiative and will serve as baseline information for future years.
Van Alphen said the concept of the stand has already received support from service organizations, churches, local initiatives, farmers and individual community members.
To volunteer or donate to the Sharing Stand, call Van Alphen at 250-494-9204.
