In just 35 days, the Coast-wide campaign to raise much-needed funds for the area’s four food banks reached its $100,000 goal – and donations are still coming in.
Between June 11 and July 15, funds poured in from residents, realtors, local businesses and churches, with corporate donors contributing half of the total donations, according to a July 20 press release.
As of July 20, the total stood at $107,837 including pledges, Sunshine Coast Foundation executive director Wendy Francis told Coast Reporter.
“The Sunshine Coast community is very generous,” Francis said. “From the perspective of the Sunshine Coast Foundation, we’re just so pleased that we can help the food banks and help them meet their needs for the coming months.”
The funds will be shared among the food banks in Sechelt, Pender Harbour and Gibsons, and 10 per cent of the donations will be used as an endowment with the Sunshine Coast Foundation. Francis said they expect the donations to support the food banks for six months or so. In the fall, the food banks will launch their annual pre-holiday campaign.
“The donations to this campaign will help us all replenish our supplies so that we can meet the local need over the next few months,” Joka Wright, volunteer coordinator with the Pender Harbour Food Bank, said in the release.
“We are incredibly grateful to all the individuals, businesses, and other groups that donated to our campaign,” Susan Kimm-Jones, volunteer coordinator of the St. Bart’s Anglican Church food bank, said in the release.
Realtors that made significant contributions to the campaign include representatives of Remax City Realty, Sutton Group West Coast Realty, Remax Oceanview Realty, Sotheby’s International Realty, and Brynelsen O’Reilly Group, the release said.
Other supporters in the corporate category include Sunshine Coast Credit Union, John Enevoldson Engineering, Longman Developments, Ted Brackett Construction, Cedars Inn, Patra Pizza, Holy Family Catholic Parish, Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Employees Union, Sweet Start Coffee Roaster, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
For those still wishing to contribute, the Sunshine Coast Foundation is accepting donations at www.coastwidefoodbankdrive.ca.
