Hundreds of people in Penticton shared the goal of delivering food to the most vulnerable community members on Saturday, April 9, outside of Cherry Lane Mall.
Over 1,300 pounds of food and $2,300 in cash donations were raised for those in need thanks to Penticton’s Junior Chamber International (JCI) and its fifth annual ValleyWide Food Drive.
“This is crucial to the community,” said Stuart Knott, the event organizer, in the mall’s parking lot. “There are so many people in need and for us to be able to contribute to helping them has been great.”
From local organizations to volunteers and the Penticton residents who drove up in their cars to drop off donations, it took just about everyone to make Saturday’s event a success.
“Times are tough,” Knott said. “Nationally and locally, food insecurity is a thing, prices are going up and we just want to be able to help individuals, families and the community as a whole.”
About 15 different volunteers each hour gave their time to the cause. Tents were set up outside the mall at 10 a.m., allowing people to drive up and give whatever they can to two local organizations — Fill the Food Gap Penticton and Purple Pantry.
“It’s phenomenal to see this,” Knott added.
“We’re going to be loading up all the vans with everything we have and take them off to where they need to go.”
With its efforts on Saturday, the JCI-led event has now raised over 11,000 pounds of food and $12,300 in cash donations over the last five years.
Part of the donations will go to one of Penticton’s newest initiatives — the Purple Pantry at the community fridge on Ellis Street — which officially opened in late March.
“The community has come together, it’s so great,” Knott stated.
READ MORE: Penticton Community Fridge and Pantry officially opens on Saturday
@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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