The United Way is appealing for help to provide healthy food to people in need in the Campbell River and North Island areas.
With grocery prices soaring, the charity is focusing on food hub programs, which last year provided more than 22,000 meals to people in need in the region.
“Imagine having to choose between paying rent or buying food, affording a bus ride to work or walking an hour and a half before and after an eight-hour shift. For many, it means leaving young children alone to work an evening job or being unable to leave home for necessities,” said United Way BC’s food security director Alžběta Sabová. “With inflation, layoffs, rising food prices, too many people are struggling to stay afloat. Through it all, United Way BC is committed to supporting people in need.”
She said every dollar raised in a community goes back to that community, and programs are tailored to meet specific local needs.
“If we see a large number of seniors, we might do seniors’ food delivery and lunches. If we see more working families or single parents, we might open the programs in the evenings or on the weekends, so they can work around their work hours,” she said.
She says the programs support whatever communities need, including community gardens, kitchens, and Indigenous food revitalization. For example, they work closely with the Strathcona Regional Community Food Hub in Campbell River, and other organizations on the North Island, because they know best what’s needed to help build and sustain local food programs.
Visit the United Way’s BC website for more details, including how to provide support.
