Contributed
A wheelbarrow arrived at the Lake Country Food Bank burdened with $24,600.
More accurately, with a symbolic Lake Country Rotary cheque representing funds raised by Rotary for the food bank since August 2018.
The wheelbarrow was propelled by Rotary Club president Ken Guido of Oyama. The cheque represented the amount of money Rotary has donated to the Food Bank through Save-On-Foods pre-paid gift cards.
Here’s how it works.
The Lake Country Rotary Club sells Save-On Foods gifts cards in denominations of $50, $100, $200, and $400. Thanks to Save-On Foods manager, Paul Davidson, Rotary earns 8 per cent every time someone uses a gift card to pay for their purchases. Rotary adds another 8 per cent.
So from every grocery purchase of, say, $100, $16 goes directly to the Food Bank. As cash, effectively.
The food bank’s purchasing power enables them to use the $16 from each of Rotary’s $100 Save-On-Food cards to purchase up to $40 of retail-valued food.
All this, at no additional cost to the gift card’s user. No user fees. No hidden charges.
The Rotary Club was largely responsible for the Lake Country Food Bank having its present building.
After several years of seeking alternate sites suitable for the Food Bank, Rotary concluded that only a permanent building would serve the region’s needs. By lobbying for public support, Rotary won a $100,000 grant from Aviva Life Assurance. Coupled with land provided by the District of Lake Country and labour donated by the apprenticeship program at Okanagan College, plus other donations, that was enough to construct and complete the present building, worth approximately $1 million.
The building has also enabled the Lake Country Food Bank to become a distribution hub for other food banks from Cherryville to Peachland.
Rotary also provided a $14,000 electric-powered pallet stacker to reduce the risk of physical injury to the Food Bank’s 60 or so volunteers.
Save-On-Foods gift cards are available from any Rotary member, by email from cards@lakecountryrotary.ca, or at UBR Services on Bottom Wood Lake Road and Interior Savings Credit Union in the Save-On-Foods plaza.
They can be used at any Save-On-Foods location, for food, wine, pharmacy items, and even additional gift cards!
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