(Image Credit: CFJC Today / Adam Donnelly)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

COVID-19

Kamloops Food Bank will benefit from $3 million relief grant for BC Food Banks

Mar 30, 2020 | 4:35 PM

KAMLOOPS — With a new $3 million funding announcement for BC Food Banks, the Kamloops Food Bank will be getting some financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The local food bank has been dealing with donation drops, and demand growth lately. However, on Sunday (March 29), the province announced that portions of a $3 million fund will be distributed by Food Banks BC.

According to a release from the BC Government, the $3 million grant uses funding that was leftover in the Community Gaming Grant’s 2019-20 budget of $140 million, after all 2019 gaming grants had been awarded to or approved for eligible organizations.

Kamloops Food Bank Executive Director Bernadette Siracky says as one of nearly 100 food banks in the province, the local operation will benefit from this.

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“They have yet to let us know how they are going to distribute that. I’m going to make an assumption it’ll be based on the number of people that you serve, and we do have one of the larger food banks in the province,” she says. “So I’m waiting to hear more direction from them.”

Recently, volunteer operations have changed, donation and supply levels are unpredictable, and Siracky is expecting more people will need the food bank in the coming weeks.

“In this crisis, it really could be somebody who didn’t anticipate that they’d need us. Getting laid off, going on unemployment, with the income that they’re getting — even with the wage subsidies — may not be meeting their requirement for monthly bills. So we’re anticipating an increase here.”

The Daybreak Rotary Spring Food Drive is still scheduled for April 18, provided the pandemic situation doesn’t worsen. Siracky says the format would have fewer volunteers gathering in one space, but people would still be able to leave the yellow marked bags outside of their doors to donate items.

“The city and public health have both approved the Food Drive (for now),” she explains. “The situation as of today ensures that we can operate that as long as people are in a vehicle with only basically who they’re living with and exposed to anyways.”

Anyone wanting to donate to the Kamloops Food Bank can drop off non-perishable items to 171 Wilson Street, or donate online at www.kamloopsfoodbank.org.

“Kamloops has kept us strong over the years. We’re a strong organization, and thank you for doing that,” says Siracky. “And because of that, we’re doing everything we can to maintain our service to this community.”