Cast-A-Light

Don't take the basics for granted
by Contributed - Story: 68517
Dec 15, 2011 / 7:00 am

phi-lan-thro-py (noun): a desire to improve the material, social, and spiritual welfare of humanity, especially through charitable activities.

When an international business executive decided to make Kelowna home for his family because he felt the city offered a worthy environment in which to raise his daughter, we, as a community became the unwitting beneficiaries of that decision.

After years of living abroad, the last many of which were in the Netherlands, Barry brought an interesting perspective on community philanthropy back to his home country when he settled in Kelowna a year ago. In many parts of eastern Europe, where unemployment pushes twenty percent and entire cities live in poverty, people embrace a sense of community support that we, in North America, don’t fully understand in the same way. “When you have an opportunity to travel around a bit, it is a good experience to see how other people live,” says Barry.

While his family continues to settle in, meeting people and getting to know their new surroundings, Barry has taken a new job that still requires some travel, but is able to spend more time here enjoying that great Kelowna climate and the smaller community feel they opted for when they moved here. He has also taken the time to weigh his current income against his family’s needs, prompting him to recently make a substantial cash donation to the Kelowna Food Bank.

“This large Dutch based multi-national company that I had worked for opened my eyes to community philanthropy, because they just had a very humanistic view of things,” Barry says. “When I started working for them, I realized what good community support programs they had. They would give people time off to work with charities, they would donate money… and they liked to do it, locally. I found that was a great learning experience and we just decided that was the right approach to take. Local people helping local people is the right thing to do.

“One of the reasons we made the decision to come back to Canada as a family, was to try to do more of what we are talking about here. I’m working and we don’t need as much on a day to day basis, so we can afford to do this. It is part of the plan to support our community by giving more as we can. You always want to try to support some of those things that you can’t necessarily see, but that touch people. We live here, so we want do something that helps our neighbours.”

Supporting the Kelowna Food Bank as their charitable organization of choice was an easy decision for Barry and his family. “Shelter and food are the basics that everyone needs,” he says. “We take that for granted sometimes. And in this society that we live in, you would think we have enough wealth that it wouldn’t be an issue, but it still is. Instead of spending on so many needless things, we can use some of our money more constructively. Everybody has a different perspective on things, but my theory is that you do what you can. If you can do more, do more, but you should do something. Once you begin, it actually is very motivating to continue. It isn’t about how much, you just do it and then it becomes more of a priority, part of your process. There are people who have so much and others who have little, but if everyone gives something according to their means, then things improve. I’ve seen it.”

share
top of page


Read more Cast-A-Light articles



Donate online:

Questions call: 250-763-7161

Donations will automatically be recognized online. If you wish your contribution to be anonymous please email info@kelownafoodbank.com

Every amount counts!


Christmas music on Castanet


Help us reach our goal of $50,000

Top Cast-a-light Donors

Personal

  1. Cast A Light Auction $7,404.63
  2. Barry Chase $4,000.00
  3. Anonymous $2,139.12

1-25 Employees

  1. Pihl Law Corporation $1,000.00
  2. J Kirby And Co. $600.00
  3. Pandosy Street Developments Ltd $500.00

26-50 Employees

  1. Kel West Carriers Ltd $1,200.00

76-100 Employees

  1. Competition Glass $625.00

Recent Challenges

  • Alana Marrington from Pandosy Street Developments Ltd. puts a challenge out (on behalf of Collett Manor) to all employees and past care recipients in the medical community, as well as those in the golf and hospitality industries.
  • Al Cosar from Kel West Carriers Ltd. puts a friendly challenge out to all transportation companies to match or better their $1200 Cast-A-Light donation.

_



Cast-a-light Donors

  • Cast A Light Auction $7404.63
  • Barry Chase $4000.00
  • Anonymous $2139.12
  • Kelowna Pipe Band $2058.74
  • Gerald Goertsen $1500.00
  • Kel West Carriers Ltd $1200.00
  • David Flemming $1000.00
  • Pirjo Boucher $1000.00
  • Pihl Law Corporation $1000.00
  • Richard Skrapek $1000.00
  • Kenneth Phillips $1000.00
  • Nicola Consiglio $1000.00
  • Daryl Klassen $1000.00
  • Colin Axelson $1000.00
  • Competition Glass $625.00
  • J Kirby And Co. $600.00
  • William Farley $600.00
  • Stephen Netzlaw $600.00
  • Janet Morton $500.00
  • Jayne Brooks $500.00
  • Bruce Stone $500.00
  • Judith A Stringer $500.00
  • Bernard Morel $500.00
  • Jorin Wolf $500.00
  • Pandosy Street Developments Ltd $500.00
  • Mary Jane Slavin $500.00
  • Onsite Custom Software $500.00
  • Albert Chu $500.00
  • Joyce Brinkerhoff $500.00
  • Hugh Culver $500.00
  • Donald Greer $500.00
  • Pam Neveu $500.00
  • Shaundra Ihas $500.00
  • Bob Brandes $500.00
  • Tom Kuntz $500.00
  • Michael Sidoni $500.00
  • Cindy Roth $500.00
  • Brian Shepard $336.00
  • Thomas E Wyatt $300.00
  • Geri Davis $250.00
  • Tara Treadgold $250.00
  • Cecile OBrien $200.00
  • Alexander Campbell $200.00
  • Anonymous $200.00
  • Corey Doak $200.00
  • Brian Milligen $200.00
  • David Jones $200.00
  • Ricardo's Mediterranean $200.00
  • Joyce House Bed & Breakfast $200.00
  • Anne O'Keefe $200.00
  • James Berwick $200.00
  • Aaron Jackson $200.00
  • Theresa Leitch $200.00
  • Sandra Backman $190.46
  • Leena Phillips $150.00
  • Loren Tottier $150.00
  • James Robinson $150.00
  • Steve Wahl $135.00
  • Norm Tearoe $125.00
  • Gary Stoutenburg $100.00
  • Terry Hogan $100.00
  • Janet Stein $100.00
  • Dana Osborne $100.00
  • Inder Tumber $100.00
  • Steve Sharman $100.00
  • Sheilagh Livingstone $100.00
  • Keith Alimonti $100.00
  • Geoffrey McLaren $100.00
  • Russ Horton $100.00
  • Christina Coombes $100.00
  • Taylor venden Brink $100.00
  • Richard Provost $100.00
  • Michael Delorme $100.00
  • Cameron McIntyre $100.00
  • James Kay $100.00
  • Donald Searle $100.00
  • Kevin Mcdonnell $100.00
  • Kathy Adie $100.00
  • Dulce Fry $100.00
  • Leslie A Falk $100.00
  • Lori Field $100.00
  • PKW Management $100.00
  • Chris Jenner $100.00
  • Christine Poirier $100.00
  • Caitlyn Liberto $100.00
  • Denise Kristensen $100.00
  • Ken Murray $100.00
  • Jim and Marilyn Ivanitz $100.00
  • Aurora Corcoran $100.00
  • Ena Galloway $100.00
  • James D. Dickie $100.00
  • Darcy and Sonia Provost $100.00
  • Doug Kilgour $100.00
  • Margot Carlyle $100.00
  • Troy Mack $100.00
  • Chris Ridley $100.00
  • Chad Semeniuk $100.00
  • Deborah Wiersma $100.00
  • Christine J. Von Lokvenz $100.00
  • Monika Jaegli $100.00
  • Susanne Hirschmiller $100.00
  • Laurie Lowe $100.00
  • Zoe Bird $100.00
  • Railene Anfuso $100.00
  • Michelle Jamison $100.00
  • Anne Lacey $100.00
  • Janet Sutherland $100.00
  • Kate Carr $100.00
  • Leanna McDonald $100.00
  • Gayle Voyer $100.00
  • Lisa Michelle Taylor $100.00
  • Susan Ruck $100.00
  • Wendy Spence $100.00
  • Darryl Somcher $100.00
  • David Harman $100.00
  • Heather Baker $100.00
  • Leanne Pastore $75.00
  • Donna Kozak $60.00
  • Sellena, Shawn and Karen $60.00
  • Andrea and Ryan Saari $50.00
  • Judy Ronacher $50.00
  • Polly Palmer $50.00
  • BAI Comics $50.00
  • Paul Shearing $50.00
  • Morgan Tranfield $50.00
  • Donaleen Glosser $50.00
  • Sharon Hyatt $50.00
  • Brijesh Mathur $50.00
  • Heather Stoutenburg $50.00
  • Charles Stuart $50.00
  • Meagan Lauer $50.00
  • Denis Beaudry $50.00
  • Sandra Hinterleitner $50.00
  • Tracy Harrison $50.00
  • Patricia Bellamy $50.00
  • Tom Bell $50.00
  • Tamera Sinclair $50.00
  • Christina Street $50.00
  • Tera Pemberton $50.00
  • Lindsay Sill $50.00
  • Gwynne Harries $50.00
  • Keith Gaudreau $50.00
  • Robert Sawatzky $50.00
  • Justin Hettinga $50.00
  • Christopher Krause $50.00
  • Kris Kutny $50.00
  • Adrian Rizzo $50.00
  • Cameron Henry $50.00
  • Katie Rogers $50.00
  • Sandy Nestor $50.00
  • Heather E. Geni $50.00
  • Holly Hudson Bobyn $50.00
  • Shane Worman $50.00
  • Gail Prichard $50.00
  • Meiko Koga $50.00
  • Erin Dickieson $50.00
  • Joyce Doege $50.00
  • Lynsay Pickard $50.00
  • Anonymous $50.00
  • Gordon Guild $50.00
  • Dana Kruiper $50.00
  • Karen Tymchuk $40.00
  • Joel Yanow $36.00
  • David Greenshields $30.00
  • George Grinnell $30.00
  • Ron P. Ruppel $25.00
  • Kelvin Giesbrecht $25.00
  • Carmen Perrett $25.00
  • Mary C Smith $25.00
  • Shelley Stoochnow $25.00
  • Michelle Kooistra $25.00
  • Wealth Win At Home $25.00
  • Roberta Snow $25.00
  • Griffen Seed $25.00
  • Minh Le $20.00
  • Starla Reynolds $20.00
  • Karen Emmond $20.00
  • Carling Benson $20.00
  • Christina D Shaak $20.00
  • Susan Ross $20.00
  • Dennis Bennett $20.00
  • Dixie Beardmore $20.00
  • Corey Sullivan $20.00
  • Adam Goodwin $15.00
  • Brett Slutker $15.00
  • Lydia Ross $10.00
  • Nicholas Mcparland $10.00
  • IKirsten Harrison $10.00
  • Lisa Fennell $10.00
  • Xavier Mendoza $10.00

_



About Cast-A-Light

Castanet.net has partnered with the Kelowna Community Food Bank to raise much needed funds, food, and toys for children and families in our community.

Our goal this year is to raise $50,000 with all funds going to programs at the Kelowna Community Food Bank.

Your donation to the fifth annual Cast-A-Light Campaign will provide a brighter future for those less fortunate in our community.
The Kelowna Community Food Bank will acknowledge all gifts to the Cast-A-Light Campaign. Tax receipts are mailed for donations in the amount of $10 or more with addresses provided.

View a Shaw TV segment from our 2007 campaign:




About the Food Bank

The Kelowna Community Food Bank is a self-supporting non-profit organization, raising food and funds through donations, special events, community food drives and local and national sponsors. The Food Bank is operated by a volunteer board of directors, 8 staff members and more than 100 volunteers who contribute over 20,000 hours annually, providing essential services including food collection, distribution and sorting, hamper preparation, client assistance and referrals, and special event planning and fundraising.

The Kelowna Community Food Bank was established in 1983 to provide short-term support to Kelowna families and individuals in need of temporary assistance. Since then the mission has grown to help alleviate chronic hunger and poverty in the Central Okanagan by providing our clients with a 5 to 7 day supply of healthy food on a monthly basis. Annually, we serve more than 30,000 persons including nearly 10,000 children, distributing over $2 million in food.

The Kelowna Food Bank is a member of The BC Association of Food Banks and the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB).

1265 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 1Z7

Phone: 250-763-7161
Fax: 250-763-9116
Email: info@kcfb.ca
http://www.kelownafoodbank.com/



Family profiles on this page have been provided by the Kelowna Community Food Bank.



Previous Stories




RSS this page.
(Click for RSS instructions.)
© 2012 Castanet.net
Castanet Apps facebook twitter youtube rss feeds