Dear Editor:
Thank you to our many generous donors.
Here at the Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre, while we are adjusting to new operating hours and procedures and trying to anticipate what challenges the COVID-19 virus will ultimately have for us, you are already building our tool kit.
So many businesses and individuals in our community are not waiting to be asked, they are mailing cheques and using our online donation service to ensure we have resources to respond to community needs as they arise.
The back page of last week’s Summerland Review was one amazing example of generosity as Bruce McDonald, owner of Summer Fair Mall contributed the first of two $5,000 donations to our grocery account at IGA.
Both IGA and Nesters strongly support us and our clients in many ways.
Among the first to significantly donate were Zias, Summerland Legion and Julia Street Community Church – all probably negatively impacted by this current virus.
Faith communities are among our strongest supporters.
READ ALSO: Summerland Food Bank assisted 536 people over past 12 months
READ ALSO: Summerland Food Bank still operating during COVID-19
It may not be generally known, but Summerland United Church, as one example, contributes $12,000 each year toward our Resource Centre and does not ask us for rent.
Please do not forget to financially support faith communities through this crisis: in addition to helping us, they are nurturing their own congregations and providing support to many people in our community.
As president of the society, one of my responsibilities is to send personal letters of thanks to recognize donations of $500 or more.
Since March 15, I have written 13 such letters and have several more to write in the next few days. The outpouring of community support is both amazing and humbling.
Our website at summerlandfoodbank.org contains a list of some of our supporters. We would love to add your business or name, but please send us your approval to do so by email to info@summerlandfoodbank.org.
We are indebted to our employees, Hal Roberts and Ingrid Wuensche, who are on the front lines making sure that our Food Bank and Resource Centre remains open to those in need.
Thanks also to the volunteers who are helping them and to Lacey Meyers, program coordinator for our Odd Job Program.
One other unsung hero is Tracey Nixon who keeps our facility spotless and whose work is much more challenging right now.
We will get through this together — and we’re already feeling the strength build as our community responds. Thank you all so much. I’d like to leave you with these two brief quotations:
Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.(James D Rogers)
We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.(J.K. Rowling)
John Bubb
President, Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre Society
Summerland
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