New food bank opens

Photo: Contributed

Inside the new space.

The District of Peachland has a new food bank thanks to a partnership with Habitat for Humanity. 

Six families in need will also be getting new homes out of the deal as the District donated the land under the old food bank for the construction of three duplexes.

"For the donation of the land, we agreed to retrofit a garage into a new food bank," said Deb Guthrie executive director at Habitat for Humanity. 

The existing food bank was small and had no running water. Only two people could be inside at a time and it was located so far up Princeton Avenue that most users had to take a bus to get there. 

The new building is located in town between 5 Street and 6 Street behind the wellness centre.

"This is a blessing," said Judy Bedford, a 30-year volunteer with the Peachland Food Bank. "It's the configuration that's so much better.

Previously the long and narrow building made for tight quarters when the volunteers were busy. The new space has given them some room to breathe.

"Unfortunately the need has grown, the other one worked very well for a good number of those years but for the last couple of years it was extremely crowded at Christmas, although the rest of the year we got by." 

"It was an old garage which was in pretty rough shape," Guthrie said. "It had to be completely gutted and the roof had to be replaced." 

The project began in September and they wanted to have it completed in time for the food bank's Christmas season.

"We made it. I'm so very pleased with the work that our volunteers and businesses did."

Guthrie said Roof Doctor, Jazel Homes and Home Depot among several other partners did a considerable amount of work on the project.

Ground will break on the three duplexes in spring 2015 to house six Okanagan families in need.

"Land is so valuable, we really wanted to use the land as best we can," Guthrie said. "We don't want to do a single home when we can do two, and we don't want to do four if we can do six."

Guthrie said Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers for the project. 

They need people with experience in the skilled trades, but are considering anyone who would like to help out.

They are also looking for six families to live in the new duplexes.

Interested families can go to the Habitat for Humanity website and fill out the quick application to see if they qualify.

A few of the criteria are:

• Must have live in children under 18-years-old living in the home. 
• Have to have lived in Central OKanagan for two years
• Have to be able to pay a monthly mortgage
• Minimum yearly income must be between $30,000+ to $50,000 at time of application 
• The families have to be able to contribute 500 sweat equity hours. Those hours can be done by volunteering at ReStore, volunteering on the build site or other partner non-profit organizations
• The families can be from anywhere between Lake Country and Peachland

Bedford said that if anyone in Peachland is in need of a Christmas hamper they can call 250-767-3312 and they can still receive one. 

Donations are also still being taken at the pharmacy or at the food bank if donors can call ahead to arrange a time for pickup or drop-off.

Guthrie said the Vernon chapter of Habitat is also doing a build.

The land has just been purchased and ground will break on another three units there in Spring 2015.

"It's kind of neat that we are bookending the Okanagan with building projects," she said. 

Photo: Contributed