By Jill Sperling

Rotary Food Drive to help those in need this weekend

Sep 9, 2016 | 4:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — Staff and volunteers at the Kamloops Food Bank are busy making space for the tens of thousands of pounds of food that will begin filling up their warehouse tomorrow morning, Sep 10.

WATCH: Full report by Jill Sperling

“We’re looking forward to the 17th food drive, I can hardly believe that it’s the 17th food drive, but we started this in October of 2008,” Executive Director, Bernadette Siracky said. “We are closing in on 800,000 pounds of food gathered by Rotarians, so thank you so very much.”    

The event begins with a pancake breakfast at the food bank before volunteers spread out across the city gathering yellow grocery bags filled with donations. 

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“We encourage people to leave their bags by 9:30 tomorrow morning, and Rotarians will come pick it up and then they bring it back here, and that’s when all of the fun starts,” Siracky said.

Hundreds of volunteers will sort the food and re-stock the shelves, which haven’t been as full this year due to higher demand at the food bank.
 
“We really reflect what’s going on in our community and in our economy,” Siracky said, “and this year in particular we are noticing our numbers increase every month. Last month we gave out hampers to 300 more people, it’s really significant.”

September is especially hard on families, with budgets stretched as children go back to school, but the food bank is doing its part to ensure children don’t go hungry as they return to classes. 

“We’re supporting children in school who are going to school without breakfast and without lunch, and that really happens in our city,” Siracky said, “it’s something that people don’t want to hear and it’s a hard reality to digest, but it really does happen and we’re thankful that we’re able to give school snacks to these kids and then provide the schools with nutritious product for these kids to have during the school day.”

Despite tougher times in Kamloops, the community has continues to donate what they can, and tomorrow’s food drive provides a chance for people to also donate their time. 

 “If you would like to bring your kids it is just a spectacular way to create a family moment of giving back, and it’s so much fun,” Siracky said. “We have kids here from four years old to adults of 90. Really, it is such a community moment. Come and experience it.”