A Mission food bank will benefit from a financial institution's community program designed to raise food, funds and awareness for these entities.
The Full Cupboard, run by Envision Financial, is committed to raising at least $1 million for food banks across the province, including St. Joseph's on Seventh Avenue, within the next decade.
St. Joseph's, and 10 other food banks in 10 communities, will receive a $1,000 donation to start the campaign. Envision will also make a $5,000 donation to Food Banks BC.
“The statistics speak to the staggering need for an increased focus on supporting our local food banks,” says Envision Financial president, Shelley Besse. “In the past five years, there has been a 23 per cent increase in the number of people using food banks in B.C."
The Full Cupboard is Envision's signature cause, Besse stated.
Following the success of Feed the Valley, the signature cause of Valley First, Envision's regional partner in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys, the program was developed as a long-term community investment program at Envision Financial and will run in conjunction with the organization’s already well-established community support initiatives.
“St. Joseph’s Food Bank served 5,787 people in 2012, which was comprised of 3,714 adults, 1,978 children ages four and over and 95 children under the age of three,” says John Poston of St. Joseph's Food Bank.
Mission residents can support The Full Cupboard by donating non-perishable food items or making cash donations at Envision Financial, located in the Junction.
Cash donations of $20 or more are tax deductible and can be made as one-time contributions, through regular, pre-authorized payments or online at foodbanksbc.com/get-involved/thefullcupboard.