Park Drive Church pastor Bart Thomas is organizing a unique fundraiser for the Oliver Foodbank.
Erin Christie photo
Identity theft is currently one of the fastest growing crimes in North America. But Park Drive Church is offering residents a chance to safely get rid of sensitive documents while helping local people in need.
The church will hold its first annual “Shred-It” fundraiser in support of the Oliver food bank on April 26 in the parking lot of Doctor Ng’s office at 9715 Co-Op Street in Oliver.
To accommodate what they hope will be a large volume of disposable documents, Park Drive’s board has enlisted the services of the Kelowna-based document destruction company “Shred-it.”
Between 10 am to 1 pm “Shred-it’s” industrial-sized document shredder will be available for the disposal of residential documents including transaction records, credit applications, insurance forms, cheques, financial statements, credit card statements and mortgage or other home information, in exchange for non-perishable items or cash donation, both of which will go directly to the food bank.
Once destroyed, the paper will be recycled and disposed of on-site. “It seems like a peculiar fundraiser,” noted Park Drive pastor Bart Thomas. “Especially because Shred-it typically only services businesses. But we thought it was significant because people are doing their spring cleaning and it’s right after tax time so people have lots of paperwork to get rid of. Plus it’s a great way for the community to show its support for what the food bank does.“
According to Food Banks BC (FBBC) local food banks throughout BC help 100,000 people each month.
The Oliver food bank helps out an average of 175 people per week. During the summer months however, food bank officials say that number nearly doubles due to the temporary increase in the transient population. It does not receive any government funding and relies soley on donations.
Thomas says Park Drive Church has had “tons” of people come through their doors in need of food assistance and they always refer them to the local food bank.
“Basically the food bank helps provide an answer to a problem that isn’t going away. Hunger is an issue all over the world and it’s also right here in our own community. And it’s not just individuals that need help, it’s families and children. This fundraiser is just a great opportunity to help restock those shelves. We’re hoping for thousands of items.”
The Oliver food bank accepts donations all year. Items of need include: canned meat/fish, canned fruit/vegetables, peanut butter, baby formula/baby food, rice, as well as whole wheat pasta and sauce.
To find out more about the Oliver food bank or how you can help visit them during open hours at 6047 Station Street. The food bank is open every other Wednesday and closed on holidays.
Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
