From the Kamloops Food Bank: Thank you all
Editor:
Thank you, Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA Terry Lake, for providing a wonderful reason for me to thank this entire community.
You nonchalantly walked into the Kamloops Food Bank without fanfare, but with a thoughtful donation.
This random act of kindness gave me an opportunity to pause and think about how often this happens in our small miracle of a community.
Kamloops ensures on a daily basis we can feed each person who comes to our door.
We are able to do this with compassion and respect because Kamloopsians make certain we can.
Our politicians — Lake, Conservative MP Cathy McLeod, Kamloops-South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger, Mayor Peter Milobar, among many — have each visited the food bank without media in tow and with the desire to listen and understand.
They are busy professionals who always make the time.
Service groups also help us feed the hungry.
The twice-a-year Rotary food drives ensure we have enough food to fill hampers each month.
The Elks, Kinsmen, Kiwanians and Lions bring their barbecue skills, sorting and truck-filling skills to us all the time.
School children also help with their own time as volunteers, through their own fundraisers and with their understanding of the value of the work they are helping us to do.
There are so many people out there who create their own fundraisers to help us, collect food and money and then call us up. They do this without any fanfare — they simply want to help.
Local businesses donate their close-dated produce, bread and dairy products each day to help feed 7,000 people — many of them infants, toddlers, youth and seniors. Forty community agencies that make meals for those who are struggling also benefit from this ongoing help we receive at the food bank.
Employee groups who gather donations, pay to wear jeans and encourage awareness and understanding, all the people who put yellow bags on their doorstep, fill the bins in the grocery stores, volunteer at our events and advocate for goodness — all help us with our work.
The media who consistently remind everyone of what we do and why we’re here — they help us.
Our volunteers work tirelessly every day to sort food, make hampers and offer hope and smiles to our clients.
Our staff — compassionate, generous, funny, hard-working and respectful — make this place even better by their presence.
Then there are our clients, who remind me daily of the power of hope and resilience.
It takes a small village to raise a child and a generous, compassionate, kind, thoughtful and caring community to ensure none of them go hungry.
Thank you, Terry, for this opportunity to be grateful.
Bernadette Siracky
executive director
Kamloops Food Bank
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