The need for food is growing in the Cowichan Valley and several organizations are looking to fight hunger starting Monday.
Stuff the Truck is an annual event to help support the Cowichan Valley Basket Society, Nourish Cowichan, House of Friendship and the Cowichan Green Community’s Meals on Wheels program.
Each year, donors have provided a generous amount of support to those in need, with last year garnering 634 pallets, to help support food banks in Crofton, Duncan, Chemainus, Lake Cowichan and Ladysmith.
Cowichan Valley Basket Society manager Henry Wikkerink says the need has escalated dramatically over the past years and this year is proving to have the same results.
“In October we handed out 725 hampers that helped 1,600 individuals and that is just in the central core here,” he says. “In one month, we had 50 extra hampers.”
Wikkerink says they’re seeing an increase in use across all demographics in the region and that’s why this year is going to be even more vital to get donations.
“Young families are working and they’re still unable to make decisions on what they’re buying,” he says. “Seniors are coming in as well, they retired and thought they had enough to cover all their expenses but realize they need an extra hand.”
Unsworth general manager Christle Pope was one of the donors in the palette challenge and she says providing help to those in need is not only the right thing to do, it’s the humane thing to do as well.
“We look for ways we can donate to the community and this fills an important gap to get the things that people need directly in their hands,” she says. “We’re happy to contribute and help where we can.”
Stuff the Truck runs from Dec. 1-5 at Save-on-Foods in Duncan and all donations are being accepted, or you can join in the palette challenge for $500 as well as provide bags of food for either $5 or $10 to help fight hunger in the Cowichan Valley.
