The Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre has received several large donations for its new facility.
A donation of $60,000 from the Summerland Health Care Auxiliary will go to the new facility under construction on Henry Avenue.
The new facility will be 372 square metres and will provide food and other resources to those in need. This is around twice as large as its present space.
In addition to the contribution from the Summerland Health Care Auxiliary, donations for $30,000 and $15,000 will go to three offices which will be part of the new facility.
The $30,000 came from Paul Rodgers and Cynthia Kereluk, while the $15,000 donation came from Susan McIver, chair of the capital fund campaign for the new building. These offices will be used by clients meeting with representatives of various social agencies.
Prior to these donations, Common Good Pharmacy recently donated $20,000 for the resource room, which will include computers and a library to help clients who need to find information and make online applications for jobs or places to live.
The Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre is a registered nonprofit organization with a volunteer board fo directors, 75 additional volunteers and three paid staff.
Its goal is to provide a one-stop centre for people in need of food or resources. This includes connecting with 19 social agencies to help people achieve self-sufficiency.
McIver said last year, 600 people in Summerland — roughly five per cent of the community’s population of around 12,000 — received food from the food bank. Of these, one-quarter are children.
This year, the food bank has seen an increased demand on its services as a result of the Bald Range wildfire in August.
In September, after the wildfire, 23 new households registered for food assistance.
Summerland’s food bank was formed in 1984 and has seen an increase in use over the years.
In early 2025, a building permit was issued for a new multi-family housing project, which will also accommodate the food bank.
The building, on Henry Avenue, is a project of Turning Points Collaborative Society, an Okanagan-based charitable organization.
The housing project will have 60 units of affordable housing. Of these, 30 per cent will be market-rate rentals, 50 per cent will be geared to income and 20 per cent will be for those on a fixed income.
The facility is expected to open in May.
At present, the food bank is operating out of the Summerland Alliance Church, 14820 Victoria Rd. N.
