Salvation Army to hold five-day food drive with fellow organizations in Salmon Arm

Second Harvest and SAFE Society to be recipients of food collected in grocery store parking lots

Martha Wickett
Apr 15, 2020 1:50 PM Apr 15, 2020 11:09 PM

21283223_web1_copy_181220-SAA-Maryann-Food-Bank — In December 2018, Salmon Arm Observer staffer Maryann Baker weighs the last of the 2,008 pounds of food customers donated for Salvation Army and Second Harvest food banks and the SAFE Society in exchange for gift certificates donated by generous businesses. (File info)

The Salvation Army in Salmon Arm will be both receiving and giving at the end of this month.

Lieutenant Joel Torrens explained the Salvation Army will be participating in a five-day Spring Food Drive, with all food going to the and the SAFE Society. The operates the women鈥檚 shelter as well as a number of programs and services.

The food drive put on by the three organizations will run from April 28 to May 2 in the parking lot of a different grocery store in Salmon Arm each day.

Gathering the food will be the Salvation Army鈥檚 big refrigerator van, with volunteers staffing it to make sure people are keeping a safe physical distance.

Torrens explained that although the Salvation Army still needs support from everyone in the community, it does have access to resources that the other two organizations don鈥檛 have.

鈥淭he federal government has pledged money to the Salvation Army and we are connected to Food Banks Canada, so while we need people鈥檚 donations to continue operation, we do have a bit of a safety net, a bit of support from outside organizations that Second Harvest and the SAFE Society don鈥檛 have access to. So especially at a time like this, it鈥檚 so important to make sure that all three of our organizations are active and able to continue serving in Salmon Arm because we鈥檙e all necessary. We want to make sure we鈥檙e supporting them so that they can support the community, because we鈥檙e all in this together.鈥�

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Second Harvest has added to its food distribution during school closures by providing extra foods and snacks for families with children who would normally receive breakfasts or lunches at their schools. The service is available to all families who wish to use it.

Torrens said the big Salvation Army van will be at Walmart on April 28th, at Save-On-Foods on April 29, at No Frills on the 30th, at Askew鈥檚 downtown on May 1 and Askew鈥檚 uptown on May 2.

Hours each day will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also, each Askew鈥檚 store in Salmon Arm is contributing $1,000 to support the organizations, with $1,000 going to Second Harvest and $1,000 going to the SAFE Society.

鈥淲e want to make sure we can fill up the shelves at Second Harvest and the SAFE Society so they can continue doing the good work they鈥檙e doing in terms of distributing food to our vulnerable people,鈥� Torrens concluded. 鈥淧art of being in this community is we all take care of each other.鈥�

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About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.

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