Mission’s St. Joseph’s Food Bank has received a $15,000 provincial grant which will be put towards the purchase of a walk-in freezer and walk-in cooler for its new facility.
The cheque was presented to St. Joseph’s Food Bank by Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton.
“St. Joseph’s Food Bank provides a strong and needed benefit to our community and has for many years,” said Dalton. “I can’t say enough to thank the core of volunteers who provide this caring service.”
Ron Leger, a local accountant and volunteer leader at St. Joseph’s Food Bank since 1996, said $29,000 has now been raised and $9,000 in further funds are still needed to buy both the walk-in freezer and the walk-in cooler, totalling $38,000.
“This grant is a large move forward. The request for funding of the St. Joseph’s Food Bank building started seven years ago. The amount raised to date has exceeded $500,000. Each contribution has been unexpected, and I see them as a gift from the heart, from those who listen and care,” said Leger.
John Poston, volunteer manager of St. Joseph’s, said the “walk-in freezer and walk-in cooler will enable the food bank to provide more storage and accessibility to seasonal and perishable items.”