By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
With Food Banks struggling across the country – victims of a perfect storm of rising demand and inflationary pressures flattening donations – the Girl Guides of Osoyoos have stepped up and brought in food donations.
Allie Traynor, who leads the Osoyoos Girl Guides, said they decided in early October to run a food drive to assist the local Food Bank run by the local Baptist Church under Pastor Phil Johnson.
With no Girl Guide groups active in Osoyoos for nearly four years, Traynor who moved here from Ontario set about re-establishing the young girls association with the help of a small group of moms. This included Sparks and Brownies (aged 5-8) and the Guides and Pathfinders (aged 9-12).
Divided into teams, the girls with their leader were at both Buy-Low Foods and Nestor’s Market for a full week starting Nov. 29.
“We started at 3:30 p.m. and we went to 7:30 p.m. at each grocery store and we all took shifts,” said Traynor.
“The girls went up to customers who came in and communicated the information that they had learned from Pastor Phil that there’s over 80 families that need the Food Bank,” she explained.
“The grocery stores were so receptive,” she said, adding, “it makes such a huge difference when you’re right there in person.”
The girls would ask the grocery shoppers if they could add an item or two that would then be donated to the Food Bank. Some donated money instead.
“I was with the girls at Nester’s and we had two full carts and we also had $153 in cash, donated in the one hour that I was there,” she said.
They also stocked up on more protein because that source is always in short supply, she said. “And we got some things that you don’t really think about like powdered milk, cooking oil, and sugar.”
“It’s a realization that needs to start young, that food waste is an astronomical issue. I’m happy that we’re at least trying to shape some of the young minds. It’s a small community and I think a lot of these children go to school with children whose families use the food bank.
“I also speak to my own daughter quite candidly about it and fortunately we don’t have to worry, but that can change overnight. I think it’s something a lot of people take for granted, and situations can change in the blink of an eye.”
The donation from the girls comes at a crucial time for the Food Bank, with Johnson saying the food will be used in part to prepare Christmas Hampers.
The annual hampers – nearly 110 in total – are above and beyond the normal Food Bank operations which currently assists 80-90 families.
Johnson said this year was a bit of a shock. “At the end of October we were looking at it and we kind of paused and said, ‘wow’,” as he explained the dearth of financial donations that had been prevalent a year earlier.
In previous years he said all kinds of corporate donations were dispersed through Food Bank Canada, but this year there was virtually nothing.
“I just think that everything that’s happened over the last couple of years, a lot of people have just taken a step back.” With inflation making life expensive for virtually everyone, this has severely hurt food banks, he said.
At the Osoyoos Food Bank demand is 180 per cent higher than it was in March this year, Johnson said. And while demand heads skyward, donations have flat-lined.
“It was really the beginning of November when a few groups said they would step up and help. It’s just been remarkable, it’s been really good.” He added that efforts like the Girl Guides’ food drive really helps the situation.
Johnson explained why with 80 or 90 families availing themselves of the Food Bank they are preparing 110 hampers. This number has remained fairly consistent over the years he notes.
There are an additional number of families that while perhaps just making ends meet, the ability to get a Christmas Hamper adds some much needed relief and a bit more joy during the Christmas period.
Unfortunately with the ongoing shortage of turkeys Johnson said in lieu of a turkey or ham, a grocery gift card will be provided.
Girl Guides in Osoyoos. Contributed photo
