Put food out next week for Thanksgiving Food Drive
The BC Thanksgiving Food Drive to supply local food banks is coming to your doorstep next week Sept. 10 to Sept. 15.
The BC Thanksgiving Food Drive is an annual event which began in Burnaby in 2009, has spread to over 50 cities in the province and helps thousands of needy individuals and families throughout British Columbia.
In 2017, more than 526,000 pounds of food was collected by more than 6,000 volunteers (valued at more than $1,000,000) and was sorted and delivered to community food banks. The goal this year is to collect more than 600,000 lbs of food. For this year’s food drive, organizers anticipate more volunteer participants from dozens of partnering businesses, schools, churches and volunteer organizations who will visit some 250,000 addresses across the province that week.
In the Cowichan Valley, the food drive visits more than 5,500 addresses, and last collected more than 13,000 pounds of food for our community food banks. This year organizers hope to collect more than 15,000 pounds as they have the help of several local businesses and volunteer organizations and have expanded to include the Mill Bay area for the Mill Bay Food Bank.
In B.C., more than 100,000 people turn to their local food bank each year to help feed themselves and their families. Almost 40 per cent of recipients are under the age of 18.
Between Monday and Wednesday of collection week (Sept. 10 to 12) volunteers will deliver flyers and donation bags to residential addresses along assigned routes. Flyers offer instructions on how to donate and include contact information should you have any questions. Anyone wishing to make a donation of non-perishable food items is asked to place them in the bag and leave it on their doorstep before 9:30 a.m. on Collection Day, Saturday, Sept. 15. Volunteers will travel back through their neighborhoods to collect these donations. On the same day, these donations will be gathered at central locations and then transported to local food banks in the community.
Please watch for your bag and donate generously. If your neighbourhood did not receive collection bags, you are welcome to drop off donations at your local gathering site which include Thrifty Foods, Duncan, Save-on Foods, Duncan and Country Grocer, Cobble Hill.
If you are interested in volunteering, information can be found at bctfooddrive.org
Cobble Hill church hosting annual September Festival
Saturday, Sept. 15 is the time for the annual September Festival at St. John’s Anglican Church, 3295 Cobble Hill Rd.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Help us celebrate 131 years in the community,” said a press release for the event.
“Follow our own bagpiper to the embarrassment of riches on stalls, both outdoors and inside the church hall, find books, the garden centre, baked goods, jewelry, better buys, art, an enormous clothing area and the dozens of tables loaded with yard sale items.”
Other activities to enjoy are children’s crafts and face painting, barbecue lunch catered by Smoke’N Meats (serving hamburgers, hot dogs, pork tenderloin sliders, taco salad in a bag and chicken wings), placing bids at the silent auction, or resting while enjoying a Divine Dessert.
Say hello to Father John at the Vicar’s station, and visit the Hand in Hand Thrift store for more treasures. Funds raised go towards supporting St. John’s Anglican Church and other projects.
Debit/credit cards will be accepted. Bring your own bags.
Bring family and bikes to Kinsol Trestle for a ride
Come join Friends of Rails to Trails Vancouver Island and Vancouver Island Trails to learn more about the potential for a world class trail from Courtenay to Colwood (244 km) Sept. 15.
Bring your family and bikes to ride the Kinsol Trail to see what a rail to trail conversion can look like.
Free drinks and prizes, music, plus hear what your municipal election candidates have to say about the corridor. If you want to see a world class trail, show your support and have fun too.
The event runs from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., starting at the Shawnigan Wharf Park (boat ramp) on Heald Road.