Ed Fossen (left) and Phil Gunhouse (right) are directors with the Kettle River Lions Club. Last week they were in Osoyoos after working out a deal to purchase more than $8,000 in food from AG Foods as part of their annual Christmas hamper program. The food purchased in Osoyoos will go to fill 120 Christmas hampers that will be delivered to families across the Boundary region in towns such as Bridesville, Midway, Greenwood and Rock Creek. AG Foods manager Derek Morgan helped load up the five-ton truck needed to transport the food. (Keith Lacey photo)
An Osoyoos grocery store has done its part to ensure the less fortunate in several small communities east of town will have a happy and nutritious Christmas.
That’s because the Kettle River Lions Club decided to spend more than $8,000 at the AG Foods grocery store in Osoyoos last week to put together more than 120 Christmas food hampers.
Those hampers will be delivered by volunteer members with the Kettle River Lions Club to families across the Boundary region, including Greenwood, Rock Creek, Midway and Bridesville over the Christmas holiday season.
“Last year, we purchased all of the food for our Christmas hampers at a store in Kelowna and we managed to save more than $2,000 by purchasing all of our food at the store in Osoyoos this year,” said Phil Gunhouse, a longtime member with the Kettle River Lions Club. “It all started when I saw an ad in the local paper where this store was promoting Christmas hams for ten bucks apiece, which was a 60 per cent savings on the price we paid last year.
“We came to the store and talked to the manager (Derek Morgan) and we worked out a great deal. It all means we will be able to help more people at Christmas, which is what our hamper program is all about.”
The Christmas hampers will feature a turkey or ham and all the fixings needed to provide a nutritious Christmas dinner, plus enough food to prepare a couple of more meals during the holiday season, said Gunhouse.
“We have the regular things like potatoes and carrots and stuffing, but we also add cans of beans and peanut butter,” he said. “We want them to have enough to fill the cupboards up a little bit over the holiday season.”
Morgan said he and his staff worked hard to fill the food order for the Kettle River Lions Club and he’s glad his store was able to help such a worthy cause.
Morgan and his staff spent several hours loading up a five-ton truck with the food products for the Christmas hampers last Thursday.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
