Food Bank News – Page 2 – Cherryville Food & Resources

Cherryville Tax ClinicCherryville Tax Clinic

March 2, 2022| admin| 0 Comment | 4:50 am

The Cherryville Income Tax Clinic is available and free for low income and basic tax returns. Our volunteers are able to do multi-year taxes so if you are needing to catch up on prior years, that is not a problem!

Starting March 7th – April 6th, CCF&RS will be doing a Drop-off/Pick-Up Tax Clinic.

Cherryville residents can bring their tax paperwork to our office during open hours; volunteer tax preparers will file your returns and call you when ready to pick up!

Please bring your tax paperwork to the Cherryville Resource Center building at: 158 North Fork Road, Cherryville BC, V0E2G3

OPEN: Monday 9-2, Tuesday 8-12, Wednesday & Friday 8-2

For more information, call Amanda at 250-547-0089

We’re Hiring! – FilledWe’re Hiring! – Filled

February 1, 2022 | admin | 0 Comment | 10:19 pm

FOOD BANK FLOOR MANAGER

Position Summary

The Food Bank Floor Manager oversees weekly operations of the Cherryville Food Bank, which includes communicating and networking with community members and organizations, coordinating and supervising volunteers, sorting, and breaking down food, computer and clerical work, driving the food truck, and basic housekeeping of the food bank building.

Education, Training, and Experience:

Any experience in a manager type role is an asset
Working on a team and performing duties as a team player is required
Familiar with Cherryville area is preferrable
Knowledge and experience of working in the food industry is an asset
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong, collaborative relationships
Technical skills (computer savvy, able to use excel and word, etc.)
Valid BC Driver’s License and clear driver abstract
Satisfactory Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector
Must have up-to-date food safe

Work Performed

Duties and Responsibilities for this position include:

Managing all aspects of food security services (monthly hampers, weekly drop-ins, stocking community fridge, Christmas hampers event, Community Garden support, working collaboratively with Senior Meals staff)
Managing food orders through established partnerships (i.e., NFSS, partner food banks, etc.)
Utilizing/maintaining food bank equipment (freeze drier, walk-in fridge/freezer, food truck)
Scheduling and coordinating volunteers to carry out specific tasks and responsibilities
Networking and working collaboratively with local stakeholders to grow food bank services
Requires physical ability to move, pick up, and stack heavy boxes
Tracking and reporting (maintain call log, compiling data, taking notes/records, etc.) and checking in with ED/President on regular basis, providing monthly reports and sharing data
Confidentiality Agreement must be signed and adhered to. CCF&RS has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and/or breaking confidentiality, upholding privacy of food bank recipients is critical
Must adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, policy, and protocols

Hours

This is a part-time position, consisting of 17.5 hours per week at 21.00/hour (includes MERCS). Thursdays are typically Hamper days and remaining hours may be flexible outside of food pick up times with our partner organizations.

Qualified applicants are invited to submit resume with at least two references by email to:

Meghan Derkach, Executive Director at meghan.derkach@hotmail.com

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, please note only the applicants under consideration will be scheduled an interview.

Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer Opportunities

January 7, 2022| admin| 0 Comment | 6:44 pm

Friendly Visitor Program

Our friendly visitor program is designed to keep local seniors connected. You can connect by phone with one-on-one calls 1-2 times a week, or in person visits.

Volunteer Driver

The Volunteer Driver Program is designed to help local seniors get to medical appointments, prescription pick ups and occasional grocery trips.

As a volunteer driver, you will

Receive 0.50 cents per KM driven
Make a difference in your community
Meet new people

Mandatory screening is required for all new volunteers.

If you would like to volunteer, or would like more information about volunteering, please call Amanda at 250-547-0089

Job Opportunities for Youth in Rural Areas by Haylee BennettJob Opportunities for Youth in Rural Areas by Haylee Bennett

September 13, 2021| admin| 0 Comment | 3:34 am

Living in a rural area makes it difficult for youth to find work. There are not many job opportunities when living in Cherryville and other remote towns. Unless you have a reliable ride to and from town, where there are many job openings for younger people, then it is difficult to find work. With the lack of job availability in rural towns, youth are not able to gain work experience that is essential for their future. The Canada Summer Jobs Program helps create more job opportunities. They target work suitable for the youth population, and work to teach them about their rights as an employee. This has made a huge difference for the youth in our community, providing job openings suited for them.

This summer, myself (Haylee Benet) and Senay Thompson were employed with Cherryville Community Food & Resources. Having youth as part of the team brings new perspective and ideas to the organization. It is important for the next generation to gain proper work experience, and learn important skills needed to be in the workforce. Senay has been working with Renske in the community gardens since May. They have been cultivating the garden and have been able to supply an outstanding amount of produce for the food bank. Each week there is a large assortment of fresh produce to give out with hampers, cultivated by Senay and Renske.

In an interview I conducted with Senay, she expressed that she is very grateful for this job opportunity close to home. She feels she has gained important work experience for her future. Senay has learned how to apply for a job, and now feels confident for future job application processes. Communicating with her coworkers and boss has helped her build workplace communication skills she will continue to use throughout her life. Senay has had a wonderful summer maintaining the community gardens with Renske and is thankful for the experience in the workforce she has gained.

My name is Haylee Bennett, I just graduated and have had an amazing summer, learning workplace skills before heading into future careers. At Cherryville Community Food & Resources I have been helping with food hampers, social media, and the senior’s meal program. Every week I help Barb build and hand out food hampers, as well as keep the food bank clean and organized. I have also helped keep our social media up to date and have worked on various projects for our webpage throughout the summer. For the senior’s dinners, I help prepare and distribute the meals to seniors in our community. Towards the end of the summer, I started going to the Lake Country food bank to learn about food recovery. I have been going twice a week and have gotten to learn the processes involved in food recovery, which we hope to incorporate into our organization!

Overall, I have been able to gain a great deal of work experience with this job. I feel more confident in my communication skills, learning from involvement in the community and communicating with my coworkers and supervisors. Going through the job application process has prepared me for future careers and I now feel more confident than ever moving into the workforce. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with Cherryville Community Food and Resources this summer, and I am very thankful for all the important skills I was able to practice for my future!

Hi, my name is Haylee Bennett! I am 18 and just graduated from Charles Bloom Secondary School this year. In the future I would like to become an RMT (registered massage therapist). I am currently working to save money for the course and hope to start next year. I enjoy volunteering in the community in my free time. I have helped at the seniors dinners, food bank, and programs run through the elementary school since I was in grade 4. I also enjoy baking and reading in my spare time, as well as going on hikes.

This position was funded by Canada Summer Jobs. If you are interested in employee or volunteer opportunities within our organization, please contact our office at 250-547-0089 for more information.

National Indigenous History MonthNational Indigenous History Month

June 21, 2021| admin| 0 Comment | 2:29 am

June is the designated month for celebrating First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples heritage, culture and accomplishments and Cherryville Community Food & Resources wants to create space to recognize this rich history especially today, June 21st as it is the 25th anniversary of National Indigenous Peoples Day.

First, we want to remember the 215 children recently found at Kamloops Residential School and we stand in solidarity with Indigenous families and communities who are mourning these losses as well as many others, who are residential school survivors, and who continue to be impacted today by the appalling role of colonialism. With the slow, incremental progress the Canadian government has made toward implementing the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation act, non-Indigenous people must stand with Canada’s Indigenous populations and demand for real progress to transpire.

We will be putting orange ribbons in our hamper distributions for the next few months to bring awareness about Orange Shirt Day, a commemorative day for “over 150,000 Indigenous children [who] attended residential schools in Canada from the late 1800’s until…[1996 where]…it’s estimated that over 5,000 died while under residential school care. Now is the time to listen to the stories of survivors and their families and learn from them, so that these mistakes are not repeated. It is a time for conversations about understanding the survivors’ truths and beginning the journey toward reconciliation. Now is the time for an exploration of opportunities to do better for generations of children to come” (BC Achievement Association, 2021). For more information on the meaning behind Orange Shirt Day visit:

https://www.bcachievement.com/2020/09/29/every-child-matters-the-meaning-behind-orange-shirt-day/

https://www.orangeshirtday.org/about-us.html

Cherryville resides on the unceded territory of the Syilx tmix^w(Okanagan). https://native-land.ca/maps/territories/okanagan/

“The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) was formed in 1981 as the inaugural First Nations government in the Okanagan which represents the 8 member communities including; Okanagan Indian Band, Upper Nicola Band, Westbank First Nation, Penticton Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band and Lower and Upper Similkameen Indian Bands and the Colville Confederated Tribes on areas of common concern. Each community is represented through the Chiefs Executive Council (CEC) by their Chief or Chairman.

The Syilx/Okanagan people still affirm the land is theirs, as no treaty has been negotiated” syilx.org

How non-Indigenous people can fight colonialism and become allies to our Indigenous communities (as cited by On Canada Project)

“Settlers Take Action

Step 1: Find out whose traditional territory you live on. Visit native-land.ca

Step 2: Click on the links of the territories from native-land.ca and learn more about the original caretakers of the land you now inhabit, their history and the current issues that affect their communities.

Step 3: Read about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and its 94 Calls to Action.

Step 4: Email your MP. Tell them you care about the Indigenous people of Canada and want to see action taken to reconcile with them, as described in the Truth and Reconciliation Report. Ask for an update on what they are personally doing to take action. Hold them accountable.” https://oncanadaproject.ca/settlerstakeaction

Support Indigenous Businesses

Shop First Nations is a website that has compiled Indigenous Business across the nation. You can search by province and sub category including: health & beauty, food & beverage, retail, art & entertainment, professionals, construction, attractions, hospitality, legal services and more. For BC specific, check out this website: https://shopfirstnations.com/locations/canada/british-columbia/

Local Resources and Supports

Vernon Friendship Centre: an Indigenous non-profit affiliated with the BC Association of Friendship Centres, providing culturally appropriate health/social programs and services for the North Okanagan community. Check out their website at http://www.vernonfirstnationsfriendshipcentre.com/ or, call: (250)-542-1247.

First Nations Health Authority: the first and only provincial First Nations Health Authority in Canada, working to transform and reform the way health care is delivered to BC First Nations. There are a variety of resources, supports, and services available to BC First Nations listed at https://www.fnha.ca/ For more information specific to the Interior Region, please contact: interior.region@fnha.ca or call: 1-877-440-1140 (toll-free)

For more information about available health benefits including dental, medical supplies and equipment, medical transportation, mental health, pharmacy, and vision, the Interior Region contact is Joyce Kenoras – Phone: 250-318-6634

Final Message

In light of National Indigenous History Month, we interviewed Kathi Shields, a 14 year resident of Cherryville who identifies as Métis. We asked her if she would like to present a message of encouragement to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living in Cherryville and this was her response:

And, “I am very grateful to be living in Cherryville on Okanagan territory”.

FOOD BANK AGMFOOD BANK AGM

April 17, 2021| admin| 0 Comment | 4:37 pm

We will be hosting our Annual General Meeting on Sunday, May 2nd, 2021 at 1:00PM. This meeting will be held outdoors at the Cherryville residence of Sharon Harvey where social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizer will be required. For more information, please contact Sharon at 250-547-6646. Anyone interested is welcome to join us for this meeting.

Thank you!

Employment Opportunity – now filledEmployment Opportunity – now filled

March 22, 2021| admin| 0 Comment | 4:11 am

THIS POSITION HAS NOW BEEN FILLED – thank you to all who applied.

Job Title: Pre-made Senior Meals Cook and Food Bank Helper

Community: Cherryville

Status: 12-week position, April 15^th – December 18^th 2021

Position Summary

The Cherryville Community Food Bank is hiring a temporary casual worker to join our team in Cherryville for the year of 2021. We have an incredible team of local staff and volunteers who work together to provide various resources and services to the community. We are constantly growing our vision and working collaboratively to bridge services and resources to our community.

We are looking for someone to join our team and take on the role and responsibilities for cooking our monthly senior meals for the remainder of 2021. There is potential for hours to continue into 2022. In addition, there will be three weeks dedicated to helping at the food bank including the construction of our Christmas Hampers and processing food harvested from our Community Garden in September.

**This is a work opportunity for anyone that is qualified to receive B.C. income or disability assistance – it is meant to provide short-term relief for individuals effected by COVID-19 and increase their ability to participate in the labor market. Note: you do not have to be actively in receipt of income or disability assistance payments from the Ministry or Government of Canada to be eligible for this position.

Meal Cook Responsibilities:

Working with staff to determine meals that will be cooked each month
Picking up adequate supply of food to construct 100-125 pre-made meals
Taking the lead on cooking meals, includes delegating tasks to volunteers who help prepare, cook, and construct pre-made meal containers
Must adhere to food safety requirements

Training, Experience, and Skills:

Must have current Food Safe – if you do not have this, there is opportunity to get it free through the Food Bank
Experience in cooking, particularly with large quantities of food
Effective time management skills is necessary
Willing to work collaboratively with a team of staff and volunteers

Wages: stipend of $300 per meal completed (9 meals); 3 weeks helping at food bank ($300 per week) for total of 12 weeks of work.

The Cherryville Community Food Bank Society takes COVID-19 safety protocols very seriously and the person employed in this position will be expected to comply with our policy and procedures to reduce risk of spreading the virus and maintain safety.

If you are interested in applying for this position, contact Sharon Harvey at 250-550-6646. Please have a current resume available, there will be an interview scheduled for all candidates who meet requirements.

A Year In ReviewA Year In Review

December 21, 2020| admin| 0 Comment | 8:00 pm

2020…what a year! With the many challenges, worries, and hardships that transpired from this unprecedented time due to the global pandemic, so has opportunity for change, for growth, and support. In the face of so much uncertainty and adversity, our Cherryville community came together and supported one another in a powerful and meaningful way.

A Year in Review

Food Bank Hampers – with the stress of covid-19, there was an increase in families and individuals accessing monthly food hampers. We worked hard to ensure any Cherryville residents could access a monthly hamper throughout this difficult time. With ample donations, both food and cash, we were able to provide hampers to anyone that requested. Thank you to all of our donors and workers during this time but most importantly, thank you to those who felt comfortable to reach out and ask for help! We welcome anyone to contact us during times of hardship and please know we prioritize discretion, maintain confidentiality and adhere to a zero-tolerance policy for gossip.

Thursday Drop-In – open to all community members, regardless of need. Local residents can access food we have in excess (typically seasonal fruits and vegetables) that we need to disperse as soon as possible to avoid waste, so please come!

Organic Community Garden – we hire a local summer student to work at our community garden which yields fresh organic produce that support our community in a variety of ways. This is an incredible opportunity for our local youth to obtain employment, develop skills and abilities, work on a team of dedicated and caring staff and volunteers, and give back to their community. Summer youth are provided with WHMIS training, Food Safety Certification, and supported throughout their employment at the Cherryville Food Bank.

Rural Communities Delivery Program – we provide excess food to Nakusp Food Bank who supports the smaller rural communities between Cherryville and Nakusp. With our refrigerated truck, we can safely transport perishable and non-perishable food to also support our mission of increasing food security while reducing waste.

Seniors Outreach Services – In May 2020 we launched an outreach program to reach out to our senior residents who like all of us, were feeling the effects of social distancing, isolation, and loneliness. With the risks and uncertainty of a potentially deadly virus, many of the older adults were living in fear and craving social interaction. Starting off with check-in calls, socially distanced visits, and some delivery services, we reached out to as many senior residents possible. We have made 256 phone check-ins, 70 socially distanced visits, and over 30 deliveries so far! This has been an incredibly positive experience and will continue to shape our service delivery in the new year.

Pre-Made Meal Program for Seniors – as an extension to the seniors outreach services, we launched a pre-made meals program for seniors which has been a smashing success. To date, we have prepared and sold 442 meals! We look forward to resuming this meal program in the new year with the support of our incredible team of staff and volunteers. We cannot thank them enough!

As 2021 approaches, we are focused on furthering our reach to Cherryville residents and surrounding area with the intention of growing our building into a hub for community resources to connect residents with the supports they require. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the power of community to support and rely on one another through hard times. Cherryville is an incredibly generous, giving, and resilient community and we look forward to giving back to our residents in any way possible throughout 2021.

Seniors Meal Program – A Great Success!!Seniors Meal Program – A Great Success!!

October 20, 2020| admin| 0 Comment | 12:34 am

October 17th, 2020 marked the pick-up day of our FIRST pre-made meals for seniors, and it rolled out absolutely wonderfully! Turkey Dinner was the meal available which came with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, stuffing, a bun, and dessert. All individually prepared meals are $5.00 and we successfully packaged and sold 135! This day would NOT have been possible without an incredible, hardworking, and compassionate crew of people and I would like to personally thank the following:

Our Volunteer Cooks, Meal Preppers, and Packagers: Diana Verhage, Corrie Verhage, Manda Harrop, Karen St. Pierre, & Bev Melvin.

A special thank you to Greg Cretin, a professional meat carver who graciously volunteered his time to carve all 6 turkeys!

We thank Lynne Frerrichs and Angelia Harvey who coordinated meal orders, made calls, and supported the set up and launch of this meal program.

Also, a special thank you to Angelia Harvey who delivered meals to those who were unable to drive or wasn’t able to make it for pick-up.

Lastly, a very special thank you to Sharon Harvey and the Cherryville Community Food Bank Society who spent months planning and working together to see this vision come to fruition. With the positive feedback we have already received from seniors, families, and community members, this is clearly a need for our community and we are beyond excited to be able to offer this service. Most of the food was donated by the Cherryville Community Food Bank, some was donated by Dolman’s and without everyone who showed up to support us, this would not have been possible.

From the bottom of our hearts….Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

As a reminder, if you would like to specifically donate to this service, all funds go back into the meal program itself. Simply click the Donate Now page and make a special note at the bottom as to where you would like your donations to go (for example: $20 to purchase 4 meals for seniors; $50.00 towards food costs, etc.) and we will ensure your donation request is honored.

Meal Program for SeniorsMeal Program for Seniors

October 5, 2020| admin| 0 Comment | 1:43 am

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new meal program for seniors! Any senior residing in Cherryville area who is 65 or older can purchase a pre-made meal for $5.00. Fresh meals can be picked up the same day as they are made, otherwise all meals are frozen and can be picked up at a later date. All proceeds go back into the program to further support our local seniors.

October 17th, 2020 is the First Meal Day!

Turkey Dinner – comes with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots, bun and a dessert. Call Lynne Frerichs at 250-547-6540 to place your order!

Are you interested in sponsoring a senior to receive meals? Use the donate option to purchase meals for a senior, just make a note in the comments section and we will use your donation to provide meals to seniors in need. A $50.00 donation is the equivalent of buying 10 meals!

We have so much to be thankful for this year and we cannot wait to give back to our community through this exciting new program for seniors.