Trinity United Church Outreach Committee is one of the founding members of the EMERGENCY FOOD ACTION NETWORK. Service and faith groups meet twice/year to share information and resources to address emergency food issues in the North Okanagan. Partnerships formed at EFAN inform many TUC Outreach initiatives.
- Vernon Food Bank: registering 5 new clients/week. To access the Food Bank you must register to get a hamper once every 2 months plus 1 emergency hamper/year.
- Upper Room Mission serving 300 meals/day, 5800 meals/month. Seeing new guests daily including more seniors, teenagers and families with young children.
- Okanagan Learning Foundation: Started by a W.L Seaton teacher, in second year of operation. Currently helping 20 Seaton students who are food insecure. Can choose 10 – 12 food items from their Pantry every Friday to feed them through the weekend.
- Starfish Backpack Program: Initiated by Kalamalka Rotary Club in partnership with Boys & Girls Club and others. Providing 97 elementary students in 8 schools with food for 6 meals to feed them through the weekend.
DONATIONS CURRENTLY NEEDED:
- Upper Room Mission: Peanut butter, jam, sugar & mayonnaise
- Bill’s Place: Donations towards food budget. Financial donations allow the most flexibility for bulk buying, meal planning, etc. Include: “Bill’s Place Food Budget” in memo line. Address: 2504 43rd, Vernon, V1T 3K9. Phone: 250-542-3555.
- Clarence Fulton Secondary School cafeteria cards. Increasing number of students cannot afford lunches. $35.00/month for cafeteria card used to purchase lunch at school cafeteria. $350 for monthly cafeteria card for one student for the school year. Donations can be made at Fulton Secondary School, 2301 Fulton Road. Phone: 250-545-1348. Email: cfulton@sd22.bc.ca
- Starfish Backpack Program. $15 buys 6 meals for one child for one weekend. $525 feeds one child/year. Make donations to OK Boys & Girls Club, 3300 37th, Vernon, V1T 2Y5. Include “Starfish Pack Program” in memo line. Online: http://starfishpack.com/vernon/
- Vernon Food Bank: Most needed items: canned milk, dry soup mixes, soda crackers, Jello, canned mushrooms, sugar.
Want to know more about EFAN? Contact Joanna Rainer, email: j.rainer@shaw.ca or come talk to me after a church service.