Kamloops Food Bank looking to Lock in Hope to raise funds

KAMLOOPS — In 2017, more than 7,000 individuals accessed the Kamloops Food Bank, all citizens who needed that extra help to ensure they and their families didn’t go hungry.

 With Christmas fast approaching, the Food Bank is ramping up their operations for the holiday season, while working on a special art installation fundraiser which will help raise $100,000 when it’s complete.

Many citizens, businesses and community organizations support the Kamloops Food Bank with donations of food and money, but here in Kamloops, the support for the work the food bank does goes far beyond just non-perishable food items.

“We salvage and divert over $6 million worth of perishable food from the landfill and we give it to people,” Bernadette Siracky, Executive Director of the Kamloops Food Bank told CFJC Today. “7,000 (people), 54 agencies in town that make meals… 10 programs in the school district that make meals. Our [individual] clients can come once a week for healthy food.”

While the Kamloops Food Bank receives incredible support from the community, the non-profit organization relies on fundraising to pay the bills which is why they’ve partnered with a number of community organizations to create a unique art installation that will help raise funds for the Food Bank.

The plan is to build a 3D structure of the word HOPE with a heart next to the H. The idea is based on similar art installations in Europe as well as Toronto, where people can come and add their own locks. The installation is expected to be completed by June 2019. That’s when anyone who has purchased locks will be able to add their personal touch to the piece.

“You get a lock for $20… what we’re encouraging people to do, and we can’t wait to see how this turns out, we’re asking people to decorate their own locks,” Siracky explained. “So you can use Sharpies on here, you can spray paint it, you can use nail polish. We actually did an event with some of our board members where we decorated [the locks] and it was actually a lot of fun.”

The Locking in Hope Campaign is expected to raise around $100,000 for the Kamloops Food Bank, funds the organization can put to very good use.

“We do depend on our community. Kamloops comes through for us. When it comes to questions at Christmas time… ‘would you like food, would you like money?’ You know what, we need both.”

For more information on the program or to buy a lock, you can visit www.lockinginhope.com.