The past year at the Lake Country Food Bank was much the same as every other year in its recent history with 600 folks every month going to see Phyllis MacPherson and her crew of volunteers in the cramped confines of the food bank, in the old Winfield Elementary.
But late in the year, thanks to an online contest, the possibility of a new home for the food bank started to look like it might become a reality in 205.
Thanks to a public outpouring of support and votes the the Lake Country Food Bank qualified for the finals of the Aviva Community Fund community contest and remains in line for some or all of a $100,000 grand prize that would allow the community to build a new food bank building.
As a finalist, the Lake Country Food Bank will receive a minimum of $5,000 towards the building of the new food bank building. The judges will now determine which ideas will be Grand Prize winners, to be announced Jan. 27 and share in the $1,000,000 in prizing.
There are 40 ideas submitted in different categories that will be grand prize winners with the Aviva Community Fund disbursing $1,000,000.
The $100,000 would be the final push for what's needed for a new building.
The budget for a new building for the Lake Country Food Bank is set at $1,058,421. Much of this has already been raised through community fundraising. The municipality has donated land, valued at $262,000, with lease fees and taxes waived, and the Rotary Club of Lake Country has spearheaded community and foundations fundraising with $121,000 raised so far.
Commitments from local contractors and construction firms, University of BC Okanagan Faculty of Engineering, and Okanagan College’s Trades and Apprenticeship Program has been pledged, valued at over $265,000 in materials and services.