By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

A recent fundraising effort for the Osoyoos Food Bank brought in much-needed donations as working families now represent the fastest-growing segment in need.

A five-hour stationary wind training cycle by Art Brochu saw more than $600 in cash and gift cards alongside an estimated $400 worth of groceries donated on Saturday, March 18 at Buy-Low Osoyoos.

Brenda Saul, Coordinator at the Osoyoos Food Bank welcomed the generosity noting that donations tend to gradually decline from a high point at Christmas. 

“I’m often buying $1,000, $2,000 and even $3,000 worth of food to make sure there is enough so that people can get to the next paycheque or assistance payment or whatever,” she says.

“So this is great that he wanted to do this and raise money and food for the food bank as there are things we always need,” she said.

It may seem quite substantial, but as Saul notes, food items go quickly every month. “I’ve already put away the food items, they just disappear into the shelf. There’s so much need it just goes right in there and then will probably be gone by the next month.”

She notes that people who are struggling the most are those who are on some kind of assistance. 

“But we’re also seeing a lot of families where both parents work and have regular jobs but just making ends meet with rent and cars and the basic necessities of life, is getting harder and harder.”

“They just can’t make ends meet with all the demands and the amount of money they make,” she says. “So we’re seeing a lot more working families and a lot more kids in those families that need assistance.”

She acknowledges it’s heartbreaking, but at the same time, there is joy. “In another way, it’s really lovely because we get to shower some love on the family and the kids and we get to bless the kids with an extra bag of fun food and treats over and above what the parents can pick from the food bank.”

A somewhat new addition is a regular hot meal program on the same day (Thursday) as the food bank. Saul says the dinner has been taking place in previous years but it wasn’t quite as regular as it is now, and with the addition of home-cooked dinner from scratch.

A trip to the food bank and a nice dinner has now become a sort of “evening out” for many of the families, Saul says. Parents can “shop” at the food bank, have a meal and the kids can play in the Sunday School rooms. It’s a welcome break from the routine, she adds. 

As for the cycling effort, Brochu said: “I think it went really well, the people at the food bank are fantastic, really hard workers and it really went over well. I’m a cyclist and I’ve done a lot for the last 20 years for charities with cycling and I knew they were talking about the food bank really needing help.”

“It’s really great, I was really impressed,” Saul commented. “I didn’t really have any understanding of how he was going to do it and I was a little concerned he was going to be riding his bike around the Buy-Low parking lot,” she laughs.

Despite not having cycled much this winter Brochu says the five-hour ride didn’t phase his legs as they are in good shape, “but my butt wasn’t!” he laughs saying he needs to toughen up his rear end. “Sitting in the saddle for five hours really brought that to my attention,” he chuckles.

He reminds everyone to “just take a bit more time to think about the people who are down and out and try to help them.”

Donation bins are set up at all the grocery stores, and the food bank says it appreciates the products that people donate as they are doing their grocery shopping. 

Saul says canned meat is a high priority because it’s “skyrocketing in price,” along with canned meals that have meat in them like Chef Boyardee, or Stagg Chili for instance, and soups that are very chunky and have meat in them.

Personal care products like toothbrushes, toothpaste and laundry soap are also in demand. “We still have things like tomato sauce and noodles, but these are things that are always needed,” she says. Peanut butter, cereals, and just the basic food groups that people need to live life,” she adds.

For a more detailed list of items that are needed and more information on donating to the food bank visit osoyoosbaptist.ca/food-bank.