As another festive season approaches, we tend to reflect on our good fortune, as well as the opportunities we may have missed, the good deeds we’ve done, the ones we could have done better. For many, it is a time to be thankful and look forward to the new year ahead, but for others, that future is clouded with uncertainty.
For many of Kelowna’s low-income children, families and seniors, this is a time of year that brings more stress than happiness. A challenging economy and the increasing difficulties to make ends meet, especially through the winter months, make it a time that many Kelowna residents depend on the support of the Kelowna Community Food Bank.
Aside from the ever-increasing need for food and essential product donations to fill hampers, as well as volunteers who help keep everything moving, as a non-government funded agency, the Kelowna Food Bank also requires ongoing funding to ensure it can continue to provide nutrition improvement and food share programs to those at risk in our community.
The Cast A Light Campaign is in its fifth year and the need continues to grow. “We have been supporting the Food Bank’s programs since 2007,” says Chris Kearney, Castanet.net General Manager. “Cast A Light is our major annual fundraiser, an opportunity for our staff to give back to the community.”
According to Food Bank Executive Director, Vonnie Lavers, “Cast A Light came about as a result of the staff at Castanet wanting to participate and get more involved with the Food Bank, helping people and children in our community. This year, we’ve set a goal of reaching $50,000 in donations. We are confident the community will step up in a big way to help us meet that challenge.”
Kearney says, “Our aim is to help fulfil the needs of the Food Bank through the holiday season and beyond. In these tougher economic times, there are just more people in need, so if you are able to, now is the time to give. Real people in our community need your support.”
“This is huge campaign and the fact that Castanet jumped on board again, this year with their massive reach to help tell our stories - goes a very long way towards helping us achieve our goals to assist in alleviating chronic hunger and poverty in the Central Okanagan,” says Lavers. “Donations for both food and money generally drop off over the first quarter while the demand is very high. Through December and into that period, where we deplete a lot of our resources, it is key that we achieve the goals that we set out at this time of year with this campaign.”
This year’s Cast A Light Campaign got off to a rousing start, yesterday, with the live Q-103.1 radio auction launch from Orchard Park Shopping Centre Sky Court. Auction bidding continues until midnight Sunday, November 20th on over 75 items ranging from small and large gift certificates provided by Orchard Park merchants and other local businesses. These donations include gift baskets, resort accommodations, a family ski package from Big White, even a set of Nokian tires from Kal Tire.“ Just follow the Cast A Light auction link on our Castanet.net home page to get your bids in on some of these fantastic items and we’ll get the campaign off to a great start,” Kearney adds.
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